Omaha PAC Partners With The Broadway Dreams Foundation For Summer Intensive

Omaha's Broadway dreams will come true this summer when Omaha Performing Arts partners with THE BROADWAY DREAMS FOUNDATION (BDF) to present their acclaimed Summer Performing Arts Intensive at the Holland Performing Arts Center (13th & Douglas Streets) Monday, July 19 through Sunday, July 25, 2010.

With the success of wildly popular television shows like "Glee" and blockbuster films like Hairspray and Fame, the world of musical theater is more popular than ever. The Broadway Dreams Foundation, a national non-profit performing arts training program, teaches America's youth how to kick start their career with a one-of-a-kind performance workshop taught by Broadway's brightest stars.

"We're incredibly excited to bring Broadway Dreams and their Summer Performing Arts Intensive to Omaha," said Joan Squires, president of Omaha Performing Arts. "This unique educational initiative plugs performers from the Broadway community in New York City into our local community and provides tremendous training and networking opportunities."

BDF Executive Director, Annette Tanner explains, "Our students undergo amazing transformations during this workshop. Many of our students have gone on to perform in regional, national and Broadway productions including Disney's The Lion King and Spring Awakening as a direct result of the connections they have made with BDF."

Attendees of the weeklong BDF Summer Performing Arts Intensive will receive first-rate training in acting, dance and vocal performance daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. by savvy Broadway veterans who will share their invaluable insider knowledge on the skills needed to make it in show business.

Students will also learn how to improve their audition skills (song selections and cold readings) and attend classes geared toward college and career planning (headshots and resumes).

At week's end, all participants will have the opportunity to perform alongside their Broadway idols in a "one night only" concert event to be held on Saturday, July 24 at the Holland Performing Arts Center. Students will audition for top NYC casting director Craig Burns (Telsey + Company) for vocal placement within the program. The star-studded faculty roster will be announced shortly.

Tuition for the BDF Summer Performing Arts Intensive is $750. Students who register before March 26 will receive a discounted tuition of $595. Acceptance into the program is by application and audition only. Scholarship awards are available for students who qualify. To register for an audition, or to apply for a scholarship, please visit: www.mybroadwaydreams.com or send an email to auditions@mybroadwaydreams.com.

BDF has brought its unique program to Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, and San Diego, among others. In 2010, BDF will travel to more than one dozen cities. Former BDF faculty include Tony Award winners Alice Ripley (Next to Normal) and Jarrod Emick (Damn Yankees), Tony Award nominees Jodi Benson (Crazy for You), Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde), Gavin Creel (Hair) and Broadway favorites Nick Adams (A Chorus Line), BDF Artistic Director Paul Canaan (Legally Blonde), BDF alum Blake Daniels (Spring Awakening), Eden Espinosa (Wicked), Billy Porter (Miss Saigon), Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde), Amanda Watkins (Sweet Charity) as well as television personalities Diana DeGarmo ("American Idol"), Mark Indelicato ("Ugly Betty") and Nicholas Rodriguez ("One Life to Live").

Over one thousand students have participated in the BDF program and some have gone on to star on Broadway, pursue careers in the arts or attend prestigious theatre programs in universities throughout the United States. For more information on THE BROADWAY DREAMS FOUNDATION, please visit www.mybroadwaydreams.com.