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  • 1.  Broadway Star's free classes

    Posted 05-11-2020 14:47
    For the past four weeks, we have been enjoying free classes in singing, acting and dancing taught by otherwise out-of-work Broadway and West End performers.  The choreography classes are taught by dancers and choreographers from the shows that have just gone dark.  The singing and acting lessons are filled with good information, and many of them are geared specifically to the 11 to 16 year old performer.  You can be of any age to audit the class, of course.

    Requirements:
    * Sign up to the Broadway Weekends At Home Facebook group.  They publish a weekly class schedule on Saturdays in the Announcements section
    * Have a free zoom account.  They are following all the guidelines from the FBI and USC and everyone else about security.
    * Register for the classes you are interested in. 
    * Have fun

    It has been amazing to have the opportunity to interact with these incredible (and incredibly down-to-earth) performers.  Who doesn't want a voice lesson from the fellow playing the Phantom on the current world tour of Phantom of the Opera (for example)?

    We've been able to get some of our kids to join these classes, and it has been really fabulous.

    Free to attend.  Pay what you can, if you can.

    ------------------------------
    Robert Forbes
    Managing Director
    Mountain Dream Productions
    Victoria BC
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  • 2.  RE: Broadway Star's free classes

    Posted 05-12-2020 07:38
    Thank you, Robert, for sharing this!

    ------------------------------
    Nicole Pitman
    Drama Teacher
    Lake Forest Country Day School
    Lake Forest IL
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Broadway Star's free classes

    Posted 05-12-2020 12:49
    Hi Robert, 

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful resource. One follow up question: do the students also have to belong to the facebook group? I teach at a middle school with rather specific and strict technology standards (it will be a challenge to even get permission to use Zoom) and they definitely would not allow me to use/promote anything that requires a facebook account. 

    I would love to hear about how you are managing the logistics of this with your students.

    Thanks in advance,
    Casey

    ------------------------------
    Casey Clack
    7th & 8th Grade Drama Teacher
    Lake Forest IL
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Broadway Star's free classes

    Posted 05-12-2020 13:38

    In my discussions with Jeanna de Waal (the organizer of this resource) about this very thing, she advises that they don't really  need to be part of the Facebook group, but they do need the Zoom account.

     

    The Facebook exists so as to provide a community where users can get technical assistance if there is any problems.  The links to the registration form are in the Facebook events, but you could just share those individual registration links rather than the FB event.   Our kids have no requirement to be part of the FB group.  The downside to this is that you would have to provide technical support, if any is required (which I do)

     

    Now, about Zoom – we do our rehearsals with Zoom, but we don't make the students have an account.  These guys do require a free account which means providing an email address, first and last name.  They have a date of birth gatecheck but as long as you put in a year less than 2004, you are done providing that information.  I inquired about the need for this, and they have adopted a reasonably rigid security model, where you need a zoom account to connect, and this gives them one extra layer of control and security.  They have disabled file sharing and screen sharing.  They use the chat features effectively in their classes.  Zoom have also made a new version available today (5.0) with enhanced encryption and other security features.

     

    For example,  Nathan Lucrezio (from Broadway's Aladdin) is having an intermediate Aladdin choreo workshop.  The Facebook event lists all the details about him (credits, credentials) and the event (who's it for, what do you learn, who can participate), but the only thing interested students actually need to know is that they have to register for this event at https://bit.ly/3cfmVBu, if that is something they want.  Each event has its own registration link.

     

    In the singing classes, four people offer to sing (in advance) and if selected will work with the actor or actress for 10-15 minutes.  Sometimes it is quite remarkable to see the progress being made.

     

    This week, I am auditing 9 of their 33 offered classes.

    • Acting Through Song with Maggie May (National tour of Les Miserables)
    • Singing technique with Ellyn Marsh (for 11-16 yo specifically) She is a voice teacher and Original Company of Pretty Woman, Kinky Boots etc
    • Singing technique with Emma Kingston (Eva Peron in the tour of Evita) for 16+
    • Acting through song with Jeanna de Waal (Diana Spencer in Diana on Broadway) for 16+
    • Acting through Song with Galen Gililand (National tour of Mean Girls) for 11=16 yp
    • Ensemble Singing with Nathan Lucrezio (from Aladdin on Broadway)
    • Breaking Down the Text with jennifer Apple (National tour of Band's Visit)
    • Scene Analysis with Sean Patrick Doyle (from Broadway's Kinky Boots)

     

     

    Robert Forbes

    Manging Director

    Mountain Dream Productions

    250 858 1053

     

    www.mountaindreambc.com

     




    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Broadway Star's free classes

    Posted 05-19-2020 17:37
    Hi Robert,
    Thank you so much for the follow up. Unfortunately it won't work for my students. They do not have email accounts (long story) and they are all under 14, so if even if they signed up from a personal account, they would not meet age requirements. It's too bad, but our school is very particular about using google meet exclusively. Oh well. I might go on my own anyway :) Thanks again for the incredible resource!

    --

    Casey Clack  
    7/8 Drama Teacher 
    Brainstormers Musical Director
    Deer Path Middle School 
    95 West Deerpath 
    Lake Forest, IL 60045 


    Any communication sent or received by District 67 and/or District 115 is a public record and may be subject to inspection or copying under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).



    Original Message


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