BWW News: The Theatre Lab and The American Pops Orchestra Announce “Up&Coming 2020” Teen Musical Theatre and Monologue Contest

Today, The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts and The American Pops Orchestra announced Up&Coming 2020, an online musical theatre and monologue contest for teens.

"With so many performances being cancelled, we wanted to give area teens an opportunity to showcase their skills, gain recognition, and support their continuing education," said Deb Gottesman, Co-Executive Director of The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts. "We look forward to seeing the broad range of skills from teen performers."

The online contest will accept submissions from performers who completed their junior or senior year of high school during the 2019-2020 academic year in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, or Pennsylvania. Students will submit a home video created during the contest period of July 1-July 15, showing their performance of a musical theatre song or a monologue from a play. Submissions will be judged by a team of professional artists with experience in theatre casting, Broadway performance, play production, and more. All entries must be received by July 15, 2020.

"We are delighted to provide opportunities to talented young people," said Luke Frazier, Founder and Music Director of The American Pops Orchestra. "These students provide so much hope and inspiration in a time when we need it most."

Up&Coming 2020 is an inclusive monologue and musical theatre song scholarship competition designed to recognize the potential of rising high school seniors and those preparing for their first year of college. It sets itself apart from other contests in that student performers may choose to compete for the scholarship awards for themselves or on behalf of someone else. During this challenging economic time, the contest gives students who do not have college expenses the ability to compete on behalf of someone else in need. Furthermore, all students who participate in the contest will have the ability to take part in a free virtual masterclass to learn from professional artists and find ways to improve their performances.

Follow the contest online by following @TheatreLabDC on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The public is invited to tune in to the live contest finale on July 30 streaming on YouTube. More details and official rules may be found on the contest website by clicking here.

About The Theatre Lab: The Theatre Lab is Washington, DC's largest and most comprehensive independent, nonprofit school for the dramatic arts. The Theatre Lab's mission is to transform lives through theatre. Since its founding in 1992, The Theatre Lab has worked to make the real-life benefits of theatre training accessible to all regardless of age, income, or experience level. Program highlights include a conservatory to prepare actors for a profession in the arts, year-round multi-week courses for youth and adults, summer drama camps for kids and teens, and the nationally recognized Life Stories program. To learn more, click here.

About The American Pops Orchestra: The American Pops was founded in 2015 by Maestro Luke Frazier with the aim of breathing new life into orchestral pops programming and inspiring new audiences to discover the wealth of material in the Great American Songbook in dynamic ways. Making their mark in the orchestral world, APO has performed at world-class venues such as The Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, the Smithsonian, the Anthem and many more. Through live and virtual performances, educational initiatives and collaborations, The American Pops makes the highest quality art accessible to the broadest of audiences. In 2018, APO founded their annual "NextGen: Finding the Voices of Tomorrow" vocal competition that provides collegiate vocalists with the opportunity to perform live with an orchestra and compete for a monetary prize to further their education. Learn more about The American Pops by clicking here.

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