Musical Theater Intensive

What inspired me to move to New York was Broadway. Musical Theater became one of my goals, so I'm preparing myself mentally and physically everyday and I'm training hard to make that goal a reality. It is a difficult process but not impossible, and each day I feel more energy and excitement because I know and I'm sure that I'm on the right  path. I was privileged to attend the musical theater intensive at Broadway Dance Center, where I had the great opportunity to meet and learn from teachers and choreographers in the industry. 

We learned choreography from leading dance professionals and Participated in seminars hosted by industry experts. All classes were dedicated to refining each dancer's craft. 

We started the day with Musical Theater class by Joey Pizzi. Pizzi was most recently on location in London shooting the upcoming feature film Into the Woods, directed by Rob Marshall. He had previously worked on Mr Marshall's films: Nine, Annie, and Chicago, in which he also appeared as Bernie in Cell Block Tango and was honored with an American Choreography Award for Best Choreography. Some of Joey's other movie-musical credits include: Burlesque (Astaire Award nomination, Dance Tracks Magazine Award), Dreamgirls (Choreography in Media Honor), Hairspray (Choreography in Media Honor), Rock of Ages and Lucky Stiff.

The next class was with James Gray, who is currently the Associate Choreographer and Resident Director/Choreographer for Woody Allen and Susan Stroman's Bullets Over Broadway at the St. James Theatre Broadway James Choreographed The Mel Brooks – AFI Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dolby Theatre Hollywood, televised on TCM. James Directed and Choreographed Peg O’ My Heart The Musical, at the June Havoc Theatre NYC, which won the MITF Best Musical Award. ​ Associate Choreographer for the Broadway, Touring and Madison Square Garden productions of A Christmas Story The Musical. ​ Associate Director/Choreographer national tours of Mel Brooks Young Frankenstein the Musical. ​ Associate Choreographer for the Kelli O'Hara and Nathan Gunn, Carousel with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, also starring New York City Ballet Principle dancers Tyler Peck and Robbie Fairchild , televised on PBS. 

Tap class with Randy Skinner who is an award-winning director, choreographer, and performer whose work has encompassed Broadway, off-Broadway, regional, and Los Angeles productions. 

Shows include: 42nd Street (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Astaire nominations), Ain't Broadway Grand (Tony, Outer Critics nominations), Irving Berlin's White Christmas (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), State Fair (Outer Critics nomination), After the Night and the Music (MTC/Biltmore), Do Re Mi, Of Thee I Sing, Face the Music, No No Nanette, Gentelmen Prefer Blondes (the last five at City Center Encores!), Lone Star Love (Lucille Lortel nomination), Lend Me a Tenor (Gielgud Theatre/London), Garry Marshall's Happy Days, Stormy Weather (with Leslie Uggams/Pasadena Playhouse), An American in Paris (Alley Theatre), Hello, Dolly! (with Nell Carter), Pal Joey (with Dixie Carter and Elaine Stritch), Strike Up the Band (with Tom Bosley), On the Fifth (The Takarazuka Company, Japan), Puttin' on the Ritz (The Kennedy Center), Lucky in the Rain, George M, Babes in Arms (all three at Goodspeed Opera), 2001 Tony Award Telecast (Opening Production Number). 

Mr. Skinner's "taps" can be heard on the recordings of Sondheim at the Movies, 110 in the Shade, Strike Up the Band, and Lucky in the Rain. He has received the LA Drama Critics, LA Dramalogue, Bay Area Critics, Connecticut Critics, and Cleveland Times Theatre Awards. A Columbus native, Mr. Skinner is a graduate of Ohio State University.

Voice Lesson with Marshall Keating who has been playing auditions, music directing and teaching in NYC since 2006. For seven years he was on faculty at CAP21 teaching numerous classes in voice, acting and auditioning while music directing many industry showcases and productions for the conservatory. He has just returned from being on the road with the national tour of Rock Of Ages and is thrilled to be the MD and vocal arranger of the new national tour of Camelot this fall.

Musical Theater class with Michael Mindlin. He is currently Dance Captain of Disney's Aladdin on Broadway. As a NYC based Choreographer/Director/Performer he has taught musical theater and dance master classes extensively throughout the country.

Some direction and choreography credits include: Awesomer and Awesomer!!! (Triad Theatre, NYC), Xanadu, Evita, Beauty and the Beast, BC Beat 2012, and A Christmas Eve with Christmas Eve (an annual BC/EFA benefit concert).

The mock audition was choreographed by Jim Cooney. Cooney is an award-winning choreographer who has taught jazz, tap, and musical theater across the world. The New York Times profiled his class in their Theater and Dance sections and praised him for training dancers with "audition must haves: character, motivation, and endurance." He's taught everyone from absolute beginners to professionals and celebrities such as former American Idol contestants, coaching Katie Couric how to lindy hop, and serving on the team rehearsing MTV's Rich Girls star Ally Hilfiger on her Broadway debut. He is proudly the faculty advisor of BDC's Jim Cooney is an award-winning choreographer who has taught jazz, tap, and musical theater across the world. The New York Times profiled his class in their Theater and Dance sections and praised him for training dancers with "audition must haves: character, motivation, and endurance." He's taught everyone from absolute beginners to professionals and celebrities such as former American Idol contestants, coaching Katie Couric how to lindy hop, and serving on the team rehearsing MTV's Rich Girls star Ally Hilfiger on her Broadway debut. He is proudly the faculty advisor of BDC's elite Professional Semester training program.

Eight hours of closed clasess with elite faculty, professional seminar with a talent agent and casting director, mock audition and wrap up with guest panelists! It was a wonderful experience that I enjoyed to the fullest.

"Really good artists are a lot like trees. Trees are grounded, rooted in the earth and this gives them the strength to reach upward and outward, to grow. Good theatre artists are rooted to the rules and methods of their craft, and because they are, they too can reach upward and outward to push the boundaries, to bend those rules to create interesting work. We reach up toward the stars and bend and sway; yet, we never totally uproot ourselves from the earth of our craft and thereby we are never in danger of being adrift without purpose or meaning"

Stacy A. Donovan

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