A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts presents SHREK THE MUSICAL, Saturday, February 27 - March 6, 2016.

Inspiration comes from strange places! For me, it seems to come from people saying profound things on accident. Today's 'out of context life lesson' comes from Rupaul's Drag Race contestant and all-around wonder woman, Mrs. Kasha Davis. Do yourself favor and check this lady out, because she is an absolute doll. Sweet, funny, talented, and charismatic, Mrs. Davis is a terrific entertainer and personality. The other day she appeared on YouTube's WOWPresents's segment "Ring My Bell," where callers can phone in and speak with drag icons. Right off the bat, Mrs. Davis shows her wise and caring side when a caller named Houston requests some advice for people just starting out in drag. She tells them, "Number one: there's a lot of gals out there that have paved the way - watch them, get some ideas, pull from those. Number two: practice, practice, practice! And number three - just own it! Whatever it is you're going to do, own it and love it and everyone will too!"

I always think to myself how when you love doing something, you put your blood, sweat, and tears into it. That happens with most theatre kids. As performers, we experience bruises, broken nails, concussions, wounds, battle scars, other physical injuries, but we also experience deep, emotional connections that will stick with us for the rest of our lives that we'll always cherish. 

Last weekend, during a slight break from preparations for Oliver!, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Georgia Thespian Conference (affectionately referred to as Thescon, or THESCAAAHHHN by my friends in troupe 5362). I can genuinely say it was one of the most fun times I've had to date. Kindred theatre-loving spirits from far and wide (AKA, the state of Georgia) came together to do workshops, to sign up for college auditions, compete in individual events, and to watch shows put on by their peers. It was incredible to me that even though most of us had never seen each other before, everyone was treated like a friend to everyone else; I found myself having a five minute conversation with a complete stranger about a common show we had done and (coincidentally) both worn t-shirts for. Attending this convention was not only an extremely educational experience, but also rather humbling, and it was quite special to be able to get a larger-scale representation of what the art form is all about.

This past weekend my high school theatre troupe attended Georgia Thespian Conference (We call it Thescon), and it was my first time experiencing the beauty of it all. When I asked my friends about their favorite memories, Hope Emerson said, "I loved just being able to be myself the whole time with all my friends, and no one judged because we were all there for the same reason- our love for theatre!" This made me think about the incredibleness of it all- how over 4,000 theatre kids in high school across the state came together to experience a weekend of workshops and watching several schools perform amazing shows. 

I can't use a hammer. I don't know how to use a power saw. I'm not familiar with how mics work, and probably would not be able to mic myself, let alone anyone else. The most  know about lighting is pulling a cord on a lamp. But that's okay, because I'm an actor. I'm a writer. I'm a dancer, and I'm a director. I'm much better at "painting the picture" than painting the set piece. However, don't think I'm neglecting tech all together. My senior year I plan to tech my first show, but for now, I'm content where I am. There's also the fact that I'm not very good at tech. I don't know what makes me bad at it, I just know that I am. But there are people out there who are brilliant techies. I mean, absolute technical geniuses. It amazes me, seeing as tech theatre has protocols and rules and directions, and yet holds so much creativity.

The stages waiting for the cast list are those that are very familiar to all theater geeks around the world. When we channel our inner Princess Fiona and spend all day singing "I Know It's Today" because it is oh so applicable to our current state of mind. 

Everybody knows the old saying: "There are no small parts, only small actors." Back in December, my theatre troupe at school was in the midst of filming auditions for our production of Ghost the Musical when our director announced that there would be a separate round of auditions for those specifically interested in ensemble positions. This came as a nice surprise seeing as the majority, including myself, tend to go for the leads or supporting roles when audition time rolls around. Similarly, it's happened many times where I've been disappointed when I've gotten "stuck" in the ensemble when I was expecting something a little "bigger." I got to thinking about why the ensemble gets overlooked or underappreciated so much, and whether or not I should have been disappointed. After all, I never seemed to have less fun doing a show because I wasn't a lead role. I think people tend to consider the ensemble as a comparatively small or insignificant role in the span of the entire production, and from this I began to make conclusions about whether or not the old saying reigns true: Is there really no such thing as a small part?

Vancouver Opera and the Delta School District are pleased to announce a new partnership: the Opera and Performance Academy. Joining the Delta School District's roster of other Academies, this new program gives high school students who love to 'Sing, Act and Create' the opportunity to work with professionals from Vancouver Opera and with educators specializing in music and theatre. 

Well folks it's that time again! Audition week is upon us! That time when we sit at our desks for hours steaming our throats, with a throat coat IV sending that slippery elm goodness coursing through our veins with a cup of pure honey with a straw patiently waiting for us to take a break from inhaling water vapor. That time when every time you get any sort of notification you throw your phone across the room because you think it's the cast list, but it's really just another email from Disney store about their 14th 'magical offer' this week. That time when every waking moment is spent thinking of how nervous you are and how you are going to utilize your 'secret weapon.'

Many may not be familiar with the musical Ghost. Ghost is the musical adaption of the 1990 movie by the same name, written by Bruce Joel Rubin. The musical garnered incredible attention over on Britain's West End. The show's music and overall structure is very different from most classic musicals, with much of the music shouldering away from the typical "show tune" genre. What audiences hear will sound more like Christian Rock, Gospel, and even Disco. "[The music] is definitely more demanding," says music director Kyle Carozza, "the vocal ranges necessary are higher, and there gets to be well over eight parts at some points. I don't dislike it (the style of music), but I like the big, belty, vibrato type of musical theatre better." When I prompted Kyle about whether or not teaching this genre was harder, he surprised me by saying, "No, I think it's somewhat easier. It's more choir-like and isn't as intricate as some musical theatre."

Growing up in a pretty big town in Georgia has had a lot of perks. One of them includes the amount of amazing school theatre programs we have in the area around us, and it's inspiring to see others working hard as you while balancing tedious hours of homework and studying and maybe even a job. Then there are also the community theatre productions, whether it is at the church down the street or at a cool studio you've heard so many people praising. Opportunity has always been available around me. Still, there's the question of what to do with my free time. Do I audition for the big school musical, or do I test the waters at a creative theater down the street with a director I've never worked with? Maybe you've had the same dilemma as a young, aspiring theatre nerd. Both have their advantages. It's up to the artist to decide.

"… That's not what an ensemble is," said Kyle, my student music director. He wasn't talking about anything particularly profound, he was just pointing out that a company that doesn't blend and cut off together isn't what we need to be. But it got me thinking… What is an ensemble?

Hey everyone and welcome to the first installment of our blog!  First off, a little bit about us.

Nyack Valley Cottage Little League is pleased to present two unique musical concerts from the award-winning Producer, Composer, and Nyack resident Neil Berg. BROADWAY AND BASEBALL FOR KIDS: THE CONCERT will play at 1:00pm on Saturday, January 16, 2016 and PIANO MEN: A TRIBUTE TO ELTON JOHN AND BILLY JOEL will play at 7:00pm ?on Saturday, January 16, 2016.

This past weekend at South Bend's Clay High School, the musical Working by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, based on the best-selling book of interviews with America's work force by Studs Terkel, took to the stage for three performances and absolutely earned their standing ovations! Comprised of dozens of students (and some teachers!) this high school's performance set an impressive tone for not only their student's abilities, but anybody who was involved with such an incredible show.

First Stage's prestigious Young Company, a troupe of advanced high school aged professionals-in-training, recently earned top honors in the Utah Shakespeare Festival/ Southern Utah University Shakespeare Competition this October. The 12-year old company of more than 50 youths sends a select group to compete in Utah and then tackles classical theater year round in Milwaukee that continually prepares them for these elite competitions. This December, under the direction of veteran Milwaukee actor Marcella Kearns (pictured) Young Company tweaks a challenging Shakespeare play with mature themes: All's Well That Ends Well.

Set your DVRs and get a sneak peak at the current Broadway season.

With successful previous productions of Man of La Mancha and Our Town, the current fall musical offering of High Noonish solidifies that the Drama Department at Newbury Park High School is back and solid as ever!

OUR TOWN with Stan Cahill in the role of Stage Manager takes cast and audience through the halls of Princeton Day School seeking the timeless and fleeting moments of life.

Next up for Daron Bruce's students at Hume-Fogg Academic High School (one of the nation's highest rated secondary schools) is a much-anticipated production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, running November 5-7 at the iconic and historic high school - located on Broadway, naturally - in downtown Nashville. Taking on the challenge of portraying Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, is Andrew Forbes, who is in today's High School Drama spotlight.

Next up for Daron Bruce's students involved in theater at Hume-Fogg Academic High Schools (one of the nation's highest rated secondary schools) is a much-anticipated production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, running November 5-7 at the iconic and historic high school, located on Broadway naturally - in downtown Nashville. Taking on the challenging role of Mrs. Lovett in the school edition of Sondheim's musical is Darby Kolwyck, a talented student with an already enviable resume: She's played Rusty in Act Too's Footloose and was part of HFA's acclaimed production of Cabaret.

As Act Two at Levine's 2015-2016 season gets into full swing, Kevin Kuchar was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule to talk about what the cast members in all three Act Two Programs (Pre-Professional, Mainstage, and First Act) will experience this season, and offer some insights on the value of educational theatre through an email-based Q&A with BroadwayWorld.Com.

Today's spotlight falls on Payton McCarthy, a student at Murfreesboro's Siegel High School, whose astonishing performance in his school's production of Pippin last spring won awards – and acclaim – from audiences and critics alike. Get to know him now and be on the lookout for him on local stages before he becomes a great big star.

Moorestown Theater Company's MARY POPPINS is an astonishingly good, toe-tapping extravaganza suitable for all ages.