Livinglovingandexploring!

Do you have anyone in your home, one of your children perhaps, who adores musicals and musical theater?! Then you’re in LUCK! TheaterWorksUSA, https://twusa.org/about/about-us/, has taken this unprecedented time of unknowns to adjust how they can connect with and teach their students! They’re opening a new, online platform, TheaterWorksUSAcademy, where your children (or you!) can sign up to participate in several types of classes!

There will be multi-week classes for all ages and ranges of experience! They have opportunities for creating original plays, songwriting, audition skills, and more! Here’s the list from their press release:

• Make a Story!, a class for elementary-aged students to explore how to use story elements from their favorite books to create an original play. This course extends from TWUSA’s exceptional success in adapting popular children’s literature, including Pete the Cat, Dragons Love Tacos, Junie B. Jones, and Dog Man into plays and musicals that have delighted millions. 
• TWUSA: On Broadway, a class for young artists who are eager to immerse themselves in the magic of Broadway musicals, including TWUSA’s own The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. Students will learn about the theater-making process while learning songs, exploring movement styles, and even meeting some of the artists from Broadway musicals created by TWUSA alumni.  
• Musical theater artists ages 13+ can enroll in intensive skill-building courses such as: 
• Audition Success, a class designed to help thespians, amateurs, and professionals alike, demystify the audition process and sharpen their audition technique. 
• Songwriting, through individualized instruction using examples from musical theater and pop music each student will learn the craft – and actually write – an original song. 
• DIY: Family Musicals!, will lead the entire family through the process of adapting your favorite story into a performance and recording under the guidance of a TWUSA professional theater director.   

I reached out to the contact to see if they could give me any ideas on pricing, and I was told that just one event here and there is around $35.00, with multiple signups for classes being about $150. I think it’s an excellent investment if you have the time (which most kiddos do now!) and the funds available to gain some great skills for their life!

Some insight from the Managing and Artistic directors:

Michael Harrington, Managing Director at TheaterWorksUSA, states, “For years, we have been discussing how we could deepen our relationship with the millions of young people our productions serve each year. TheaterWorksUSAcademy is an exciting step towards that deeper relationship as well as an opportunity to expand our reach and foster a love for theater in even more communities. Until we can gather safely again in person, we are determined to do what we can to keep theater present in the lives of young people and families.”

In addition to the weekly classes for everyone, there are Master Classes as well, involving such artistic professionals as:

• Stephen Brackett, http://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/7812-stephen-brackett
• Kimberly Grigsby, http://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/278505-kimberly-grigsby
• Joe Iconis, http://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/329570-joe-iconis
• Judy Kuhn, http://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/5947-judy-kuhn
• Kristen Anderson-Lopez, http://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/333509-kristen-anderson-lopez
• Rob Rokicki, http://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/350259-robert-rokicki
• Bobby Lopez, http://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/2028-robert-lopez
• Jerry Zaks, http://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/283642-jerry-zaks

Barbara Pasternack, Artistic Director at TheaterWorksUSA, states, “Young people are craving connection and desperate to express themselves. This Academy is another step towards a world TheaterWorksUSA imagines where everyone can experience exceptional theater that gives rising generations a reason to look up and explore with optimism the full potential of their personal and communal identities. This is a perfect time to go virtual.”

To check out all the available classes and everything else this fantastic company has to offer, click here: https://twusa.org/academy/. The registration for these classes is open NOW and classes begin tomorrow, 5/22/2020!

You can also check them out on IG @theaterworksusa ; FB @theaterworksusa ; Twitter @theaterworksusa or even YouTube @theaterworksusa.

Let me know if you know anyone who might be interested! I know I LOVE to sing, always have and always will! I even tried out for American Idol once, but that’s another story for another day! Check out my other posts that would benefit your kid or kiddos here such as BusyKid; Fun at the STL Zoo; & some awesome job ideas!

Love ya,

Kelly Ann

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