THE VOICE finalist Jacquie Lee (pictured) and Grammy nominee Charlie Puth are among the graduates of the Count Basie Theatre’s Performing Arts Academy, the new session of which is accepting registrations now for its spring 2016 classes.
Press release from Count Basie Theatre
Online registration for spring classes at the Count Basie Theatre’s Performing Arts Academy is now open at theBASIE.org/education. Classes for young thespians, rock stars in the making, vocalists and other creative types are available for students this session.
Classes run throughout March, April, May and June, with tons of daily options for students. On Mondays, the Academy’s “Kids On Stage” classes and its “Beginning Acting” and “Teen Audition Techniques” take center stage, while on Tuesdays, “Broadway Bound” and “Acting For TV And Film” are session highlights. Wednesday titles include “Dialects and Diction,” “Teen Improvisation” and private one-on-one vocal coaching classes, while Thursdays offer students lessons in show choirs, beginning acting and advance acting for teens.
On Saturdays, the Basie’s Performing Arts Academy offers a number of one-off programs: SAG-AFTRA member Angela Lomangino’s “TV Tots”™ class is a three-Saturday series designed to help children gain comfort in front of the camera, while “Creative Dramatics” is a one-day workshop on April 16 that takes children aged 4-6 through the basics of acting.
On Saturday, April 30, the Academy offers a one-day workshop based on Roald Dahl’s Matilda, while another popular children’s book – If You Give A Mouse A Cookie – springs to life on May 14. On May 21, a workshop entitled “Puppets!” takes center stage, with a step-by-step instruction for children to create their own puppets from household items, and then turn them into new and imaginative characters.
New this spring is the opportunity for students to shine in the Academy’s new black-box theater. You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown is an audition-based experience showcasing a day in the life of everyone’s favorite Blockhead, plus a supporting cast of characters like Linus, Pigpen, Peppermint Patty, Lucy – even Woodstock.
In addition to classes and workshops, auditions are also open for two of the Basie’s most popular partner programs: Rockit! At The Basie and the Jazz Arts Academy. Each program is audition-based, with accepted students moving into intensive studies on their favorite genres of music. Rockit!, a six-week experience, culminates with a public concert on the Basie stage on Sunday, June 19.
Private one-on-one coaching from Basie teaching artists and vocal coaches is also available. Visit theBASIE.org/education for a complete list.
Programs at the Basie’s Academy, started in 2001 and serving tens of thousands of students over the last decade and a half, is famous for producing several Broadway performers, as well as musicians Charlie Puth and The Voice finalist Jacquie Lee. For more information, visit theBASIE.org/education, or call (732)224-8778 x 125.
