Feature: Kevin Kuchar Discusses theBridge, Levine Music's Latest Educational Musical Theatre Program

Over the past several years, BroadwayWorld.Com DC's staff has had the opportunity to profile the educational musical theatre program at Levine Music several times, and we've been hugely impressed with it. As I personally witnessed Act Two at Levine productions of Next to Normal and Parade; sat in on a master class or two; and learned more about the experiences the program offers for elementary, middle school, and high school students, I would certainly be in a position to argue that Act Two at Levine offers one of the most ambitious and rigorous educational musical theatre programs in our area. To that end, it's of little surprise that it's Pre-Professional Program, in particular, has gained a national reputation for training top caliber students for placement in high ranking universities, regional theatre companies, and national tours.

This year, Levine Music is taking musical theatre education to the next level by offering a new program, called theBridge, in addition to its popular Pre-Professional and First Act programs, which are geared toward grades 9-12 and 5-8, respectively.

As an institution, Levine Music has more then 3500 students of all ages across five campuses, and this new program takes full advantage of that diversity. "I think I heard once that our youngest student at Levine was six months old and our oldest more than a hundred," Artistic Director Kevin Kuchar offers. "TheBridge is a chance for theatre students of all ages to learn side by side. It is a program that teaches the process of making musical theatre, culminating in a fully staged musical each season, where cast members who may have left the world of theatre after high school can come back to the stage - here they can work together - a cast of all ages, from kids and college students to grandparents; students from eight to eighty and beyond."

The new program also takes full advantage of Washington, DC's vibrant and diverse professional theatre scene - a scene which includes some nationally-known and even Tony Award-winning theatre companies, as well as a slew of smaller ones. Kuchar pinpoints this value as follows: "We are very fortunate in Washington, DC to have an incredibly vibrant and diverse theater community, led by several regional houses with national esteem. It makes sense then to bring those leading theater voices together to influence a single educational process here in the district."

Just like the larger institution with which it is affiliated, Act Two at Levine is keen on collaborating and partnering with institutions with similar missions in the community. Several Pre-Professional productions have been staged at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, as well as Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, for example. TheBridge, however, takes collaboration with local theatres a step further, and offers a new kind of educational musical theatre program that, at its foundation, is all about collaboration.

"We don't just want to make a show or concert," Kuchar clarifies. "We are building something new, a bridge between missions" he explains. He goes on to say that "Levine has a lot in common with the missions of our fellow arts institutions in the area, so we set our sights on bringing the very diverse teaching styles, methods, and approaches into one process." He explains that the idea is that "as a community of artists we can create a collaborative process that's entirely new - there's so much we can create together for theatre students, hobbyist and enthusiasts."

So what is the Bridge exactly? This season, Levine Music will work in concert with teaching partners from Signature Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC), Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Ford's Theatre and Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, among others. TheBridge cast members will present a fully-staged musical production on December 9-11 in Arena Stage's intimate Kogod Cradle (Arena Stage will also work with the cast members on auditioning and best practices). Kuchar reveals that this season's musical will be Stephen Schwartz's Children of Eden and explains his choice by honing in on its "brilliant score" and how "it's absolutely perfect for the space."

The teaching partners share Kuchar's excitement. Patrick Pearson, Director of Artistic Programming at Ford's Theatre and a teaching partner who will work with Levine's students in dramaturgy and text, shares his thoughts about the collaboration as follows: "Ford's Theatre looks forward to working with the Levine School in the inaugural season of their exciting new program, theBridge at Levine. Education is a key component of our work at Ford's, and this initiative provides a great opportunity for us to collaborate with a wonderful partner who believes just as strongly in the value of education and outreach."

Signature Theatre's David Zobell, who will join the program for characterization work, shares Pearson's enthusiasm, "All of us at Signature Theatre are delighted to further our partnership with Act Two at Levine to collaborate on theBridge at Levine. Act Two at Levine has become one of the most popular musical theatre training programs in the region. It only makes sense that Signature, an institution known nationally for its musicals, partner with Levine on these exciting educational programs."

Brent Stansell, Training Programs Manager at STC, also shares this excitement. He says, "The Shakespeare Theatre Company is thrilled to participate as a partner in theBridge at Levine Music, an exciting new program bringing local DC theatres together for a production that welcomes students of all ages. STC Education values programming like theBridge, which welcomes all learners to share the art of theatre and inspires the next generation of artists in our community. When Levine Music reached out to STC Education with an opportunity to partner and collaborate with so many fantastic arts organizations, we obviously wanted to join this worthwhile effort."

The collaboration doesn't just end with the theatres mentioned above though. "This is just the inaugural year" says Kuchar, "we want to include other theaters in our region as well to open a dialogue and enlist their help to develop the best possible program for our community." One of the ways to make the best program for the community is to ensure inclusivity for people with disabilities. Kuchar says "this effort should be as inclusive as we can make it. Already this season, the Kennedy Center's accessibility team is helping us improve accessibility for both the performer and the patron," he adds.

While the actual trajectory of the program remains to be seen - it is only the first year after all - I can unequivocally agree with Mr. Kuchar that theBridge is a unique program with enormous potential. "Imagine a classroom", Kuchar muses, "where, side-by-side, a seventh grader and a seventy-year-old, have the chance to learn from Woolly Mammoth's Artistic Director Howard Shalwitz (who joins the program this October) and days later they are working together to apply that insight on stage, in a regional theatre, in front of an audience." He remarks, "That's very special, it's a bridge to somewhere new and I think that is entirely the spirit of our very rich theater community here in Washington, DC."

I look forward to what happens next.

All logos and graphics courtesy of Levine Music. See below for audition information:

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