Broadway Rose Educational Programs: Inspiring Passions, Changing Lives
The Broadway Rose Theatre Company is proud to offer educational programs to children, teens, and college students that ignite a passion for musical theater.
“When they finally nail that one dance move, or that tricky moment, they just glow. That pride they have in themselves, suddenly, is a feeling they take with them for the rest of their lives.”—Amy Frankel, choreographer, on teaching teens in The Broadway Rose summer theater workshop.
Fulfilling our mission of producing exceptional live theater wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t have talented, creative professionals to make it happen. We know it’s vital to nurture the next generation of performers, technicians, and production experts who will create captivating fantasy worlds onstage, so we’re committed to offering programs that introduce children, teens, and young adults to the theater.
One of our most popular programs is the summer teen theater workshop. For three weeks, 12- to 18-year-old students learn skills in performance or technical craft, and their efforts culminate in a full-scale musical production. In 2009, that production was Grease, a wildly successful show that featured 40 kids delivering four sold-out performances.
Annie Folsom was one of those students. Like many teens participating in The Broadway Rose’s educational programs, Annie had found that performing-arts opportunities in her community were limited. In fact, her high school hadn’t produced a musical in over fifteen years, so when she learned about our teen workshops and classes, she eagerly participated. Annie joined a fall program in 2008, returned for a spring class, and learned that Grease would be launched in the summer of 2009. She auditioned and landed the lead role of Sandy. It was an experience that changed her life.
“Overall, my experience in this teen workshop was so rewarding,” Annie said. “I always knew that musical theater was incredible, but having the opportunity to experience it first-hand was—not to be cliché—life-altering. I learned how hard the work onstage is, but how rewarding it is at the end of the day. …[B]ecause of the fun that I had with my involvement in Grease, I plan on pursuing musical theater in college—a pursuit I never thought I would strive for. But, because I learned so much and because I loved my experience with Broadway Rose so much, I want to learn more and experience more in the real world of musical theater.”
In addition to producing teen performances like Grease, The Broadway Rose offers paid internships for high school and college students. Theater professionals mentor students, teaching them how to do the technical work required to produce a show. Students may learn to be lighting operators, sound assistants, dressers, or assistant stage managers, for example. Students also benefit from the industry experience and connections of their teachers, who assist career-minded students with professional networking as well.
Jamie Hammon, another alumna of The Broadway Rose’s educational programs, learned much from her experiences on both the technical and creative fronts. “I was a technical intern for three summers—mostly dressing, but I also dabbled in property design, run crew, and lots of wigs—and I played Sleeping Beauty this past summer,” Jamie said. “Without Broadway Rose, I wouldn’t have had any regional experience in the theater and wouldn’t be where I am now, the CAP 21 studio at NYU Tisch [School of the Arts]. My connections at BRTC also got me hired as a P.A. on Vitriol and Violets at Rainy Day Productions/ART last year, and I’ve been offered countless jobs that I had to turn down because I was too busy! I gained so much valuable experience through them, but I also met a lot of people who changed my life. The performers were inspiring—now I am a musical theater major, whereas in high school I didn’t really have that opportunity—and a lot of my courage to pursue this came from watching and being involved behind the scenes at BRTC.”
As rewarding as these encounters are for the youth who participate, their mentors, too, find themselves changed by the experience. Amy Frankel, who choreographed Grease and will choreograph this summer’s teen production of the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, shared her thoughts:
“I love to teach kids because they remind you, so quickly, why you got into performing in the first place. Their passion and their hunger for the next step, the new dance number, and the energy with which they tackle each new scene [and] song is infectious. I marvel at how much they are capable of and how much they grow in just a short amount of time. As a choreographer and a teacher, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing something click with students for the first time. When I choreographed Grease I would throw these huge dance numbers at the kids, and they’d come right back for more. … It reminds me and reinforces all the reasons I wanted to be in theater in the first place. It’s magic!”
Experiencing the magic of theater can make a love of the art bloom in even the youngest of children, and The Broadway Rose cherishes the opportunity to nurture that attraction. As important as our teen and college-age programs are, our educational offerings wouldn’t be complete without something for the youngest fans of theater. The Broadway Rose produces two shows every summer specifically for children—this year we’re featuring Aladdin and Cinderella—and we also run drama camps for kids aged 8 to 11. Children learn about different aspects of theater and, at the end of camp, perform in the ensemble of one of our children’s productions.
We’re also proud to collaborate with Seattle’s historic 5th Avenue Theatre to bring musicals to groups of schoolchildren. This February, we sponsored productions of the 5th Avenue Theatre’s Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company so that more than 3,000 children from Tigard and Tualatin elementary schools could enjoy the excitement and energy of theater.
Regardless of age, after participating in one of our educational programs, our students will have shared a valuable and unforgettable adventure. “My experiences during Grease were so fun and exciting,” said Annie. “Besides the fact that I gained really close friendships with an entire cast of teenagers, I learned so much…” Building skills, cultivating relationships, and having fun—it’s The Broadway Rose’s gift to our youngest supporters, and one we plan to keep giving for a long time to come.
—Alaina Smith
If you would like to help open young hearts to musical theater, please make a donation to The Broadway Rose today.
To learn more about the programs discussed in this article, please see our education page.
For information on scholarships, email Emma Lubin or call (503) 906-2378. Thank you.
Annie Folsom was one of those students. Like many teens participating in The Broadway Rose’s educational programs, Annie had found that performing-arts opportunities in her community were limited. In fact, her high school hadn’t produced a musical in over fifteen years, so when she learned about our teen workshops and classes, she eagerly participated. Annie joined a fall program in 2008, returned for a spring class, and learned that Grease would be launched in the summer of 2009. She auditioned and landed the lead role of Sandy. It was an experience that changed her life.
In addition to producing teen performances like Grease, The Broadway Rose offers paid internships for high school and college students. Theater professionals mentor students, teaching them how to do the technical work required to produce a show. Students may learn to be lighting operators, sound assistants, dressers, or assistant stage managers, for example. Students also benefit from the industry experience and connections of their teachers, who assist career-minded students with professional networking as well.