Andrea Burns Leads Broadway Artists Alliance Students in a Song Interpretation Master Class

Andréa Burns (In the Heights, The Ritz, The Full Monty, Beauty and the Beast) mentored the young performers of Broadway Artists Alliance this past Sunday, December 20th. The day of master classes for advanced young musical theatre artists began with a song interpretation class during which Andrea motivated and coached students to take artistic risks and identify the specifics of what they were fighting for within each musical audition selection. Students ages 10 to 21 were inspired and instantly won over by Ms. Burns' charming humor yet down-to-earth style and accessibility. After some additional scene study work and a short lunch break, the day of master classes concluded with a Musical Theatre Audition Technique session led by a representative from Telsey & Co casting, who challenged students to give both technically and emotionally invested auditions.

Broadway Artists Alliance is the dynamic educational organization that is quickly gaining a reputation for ensuring the future of great Broadway talent by bringing together current Broadway artists and promising young performers ages 10 to 21.

BAA's 2009/2010 One-Day Master Class series will continue with classes in the theme of Mary Poppins, Little Mermaid, Finian's Rainbow, Ragtime, The Addams Family, Wicked with Stephanie J. Block (January 17), and a Pop/Rock themed master class with J. Robert Spencer (January 18). Space is limited but available for all master classes. Please visit www.broadwayartistsalliance.org for a full list of classes and audition/ application information.

Broadway Artists Alliance will also host their annual Advanced Musical Theatre Winter Workshop on February 13-15, 2010. (Special Broadway and Tony Award Winning Guests will be announced shortly.) An additional One Day Master Class with Broadway's Leading Lady, Sutton Foster has recently been added for February as well.

BAA is also already near capacity for their popular Summer Intensive in July and August of 2010. BAA's National Audition Tour continues with stops in Washington DC and Rockville, MD in late December of 2009, Philadelphia, Orlando, New York, and Boca Raton in January of 2010, as well as several Mid West and West Coast audition stops in the early Spring. (Visit www.broadwayartistsalliance.org/auditions for details.)

Andrea Burns joins the Broadway Artists Alliance roster of instructors and special guests that have recently included Sutton Foster (Shrek), Lea Michele (Spring Awakening), Bill Irwin (Bye, Bye, Birdie), Megan Hilty (9 to 5), Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot), Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd), Mitch Jarvis (Rock of Ages), Susan Blackwell ([title of show]), Stephanie J. Block (Wicked), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Michelle Federer (Wicked), John Gallager Jr. (Spring Awakening), Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon), Christopher Jackson (In the Heights), Tyrick Wiltez Jones (Finian's Rainbow), Norm Lewis (The Little Mermaid), AndRea Martin (Young Frankenstein), Megan McGinnis (Les Miserables), Skylar Astin (Spring Awakening), John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys), Lauren Kennedy (Vanities), Kelli O'Hara (South Pacific), Heather Parcells (A Chorus Line), Lisa Stevens (High School Musical), Marc Shaiman (Hairspray), Laura Benanti (Gypsy), Beth Leavel (Drowsy Chaperone), Jason Robert Brown (13), Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) and many more. For more information about Broadway Artists Alliance, please visit www.broadwayartistsalliance.org.

Photo credit: Emily Levin