Review: HAL PRINCE'S BROADWAY at The Music Center At Strathmore

Young Artists of America presented the world premiere of Hal Prince's Broadway at the Music Center at Strathmore for a special one night only. This show, conceived and written by YAA, takes us through legendary director and producer Hal Prince's journey in the theatre world, with performances of some of the most iconic songs from the musicals he has been involved in. An impressive 180+ performers from Young Artists of America at Strathmore and the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras came together to produce this stellar performance, showcasing the many talents these students have to offer.

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One major piece of the production that would not have been possible without it, was the orchestra. The very beginning of this show starts off with a spectacular overture of a medley running through the well-known orchestrations Hal Prince contributed to. It immediately caught the audience's attention, astounding everyone with the powerful and pitch-perfect sounds produced by these extremely talented students. An orchestra is what helps shape musicals - and nothing can beat having the music played live. The high expectation of talent was immediately set upon hearing this phenomenal introduction to the show.

The next piece that continued to impress the audience was the talented singing these students showcased to us. There were many performances throughout the night that left me in awe, especially when remembering the fact that these students are only as old as seniors in high school (with many others younger than that). After seeing my fair share of YAA productions, they continue to impress me and show immense growth every time.

Some specific names, whose performances absolutely blew me away, were Esther Ou, Seger Ott-Rudolph, Ava Benson, Madi Heinemann, Sophie Beck, and Sebastian Gervase, with a special mention to YAA alumni Spencer Whims and Alex Stone. From performing songs such as the "Tonight Quintet" (West Side Story), to "Broadway Baby" (Follies), to "All I Ask of You" (The Phantom of the Opera), these students were absolutely extraordinary. Being in high school and already showing so much professionalism and control of their talent is beyond exciting to witness. Whichever part these students were portraying was executed perfectly every single time. It's so enjoyable to see the next generation coming up so strong with not only having what it takes, but also showing that they truly care for each other and the craft of theatre. These performances are going to be running through my mind and I can't wait to see what these talented performers do in the future.

Honoring someone as monumental as Hal Prince is no easy task, but every single performer on stage proved that it can be done, and the results can be amazing. A lot of thought certainly went into this production and everyone showed to have embraced it fully. And though this was a one night only event, the fun isn't over yet. YAA will be recording excerpts of this show to be played later this year on PBS. It's always so wonderful to see these students put on such amazing shows, and this time getting to hear them perform classic Broadway pieces was greatly appreciated. This is just the beginning for the students of Young Artists of America.

Running time: 2 hours and 10 minutes plus a 15-minute intermission.

Hal Prince's Broadway was a one-night only performance on April 1st, 2023 at the Music Center at Strathmore, located at 5301 Tuckerman Ln, North Bethesda, MD 20852.

For more information about Young Artists of America, click here.