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Local
high school students are
learning what it takes to
make it to Broadway from
young professionals who’ve
been there. Apple Hill
Playhouse’s Musical Theatre
Professional Development
Program has brought
performers from the casts of
Assassins and Bombay Dreams
as well as college
conservatory actors with
extensive professional
credits to mentor students
in grades 8-12 in every
aspect of performance. From
singing to dancing to
acting, to research,
students in Apple Hill’s
program are learning first
hand that there’s more to
musical theatre performance
than just belting out a song
on stage.
“Our program is unique in
that we have a group of
really talented young
professionals working with
the high school students on
their individual skills and
then mentoring them in the
performance process,”
explains Ellen Lettrich,
Education Coordinator at
Apple Hill.
In addition to those with
Broadway experience, there
are staff members who are
training at some of the top
musical theatre schools in
the country: Carnegie
Mellon, The University of
Michigan, New York
University, and Point Park
University. All class
sessions feature staff
members, not just
explaining, but
demonstrating what they
teach. For example, during
an audition workshop, the
twelve staff people
performed the songs they
take to New York auditions.
This gives students a taste
of the level of skill and
experience that exists in
the professional musical
theater world. The staff is
also able to talk to the
students about the realities
of day-to-day life as both
college-age actors and young
theatre professionals.
As part of the program, the
students will perform
alongside the professionals
in the musical Hair, by
Gerome Ragni and James Rado,
with music by Galt McDermot.
For today’s teens, the 60s
are shrouded in mystery. So,
as part of their preparation
for the show, the students
are researching the era as
well as memorizing lines and
learning the choreography.
“I didn’t know a lot about
the era when we started the
rehearsals,” admits Samantha
Brammell, a 9th grader from
Penn-Trafford. “So we have
to look up the slogans,
references and poems that
are used.”
“It’s important for us to be
authentic in this
performance,” agrees Melanie
McCullough an 11th grader
from Greensburg Central
Catholic. “We don’t want to
portray our characters as
stereotypical hippies, we
want them to be real
people.”
“The students have really
learned a lot throughout the
program,” says Lettrich, a
former high school social
studies and drama teacher.
“Theatre is a great way to
teach all kids
self-discipline and
cooperative work strategies.
And with the production of
Hair, the kids are learning
history, too. They are
actually excited about
researching the historical
and cultural context of the
show.”
The class production of Hair
was staged on August 26-28.
Hair was partially funded by
a grant from the
Westmoreland County Bureau
of Parks and Recreation in
conjunction with the PA
Council on the Arts. For
information on future
student programs, please
contact the Apple Hill
Playhouse at 724-468-5050,
or visit the website at
www.applehillplayhouse.org.
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