Photos: Broadway's Jeanna de Waal Leads Masterclass at Long Island Musical Theatre Festival

The Long Island Musical Theatre Festival (LIMTF) recently welcomed Broadway performer and educator Jeanna de Waal for a special masterclass with students participating in its 2026 summer intensive, providing young performers with the opportunity to learn directly from a current industry professional. Check out photos of her visit.

Known to Broadway audiences for originating the title role in Diana: The Musical, de Waal continues to perform and teach internationally. Most recently, she appeared as Myrtle Wilson in the Asian premiere of The Great Gatsby in Seoul following her acclaimed performance as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at The Muny. She is also the co-founder of Broadway Weekends, an immersive educational program that connects aspiring performers with Broadway professionals, reflecting her ongoing commitment to arts education and mentorship.

The visit held special significance for LIMTF's Advanced Intensive students, as de Waal originated the role of Chris Hargensen in MCC Theater's acclaimed reimagining of Carrie: The Musical. As students prepared for their own production, she offered firsthand insight into the musical while encouraging performers to dig deeper into their characters, storytelling, and artistic choices.

Throughout the masterclass, de Waal created an atmosphere that was both welcoming and challenging. Warm, encouraging, and deeply invested in each student's growth, she pushed performers to think beyond vocal technique and examine the intention behind every choice. Through thoughtful questions, insightful feedback, and practical coaching, she challenged students to dig deeper into their storytelling while fostering the confidence to take creative risks.

Just one day later, LIMTF's Advanced Intensive students premiered Carrie: The Musical, immediately putting de Waal's coaching into practice. This weekend, those same performers will carry those lessons into the festival's mainstage production of Gypsy, performed with a live professional orchestra. They will also be joined on stage by students from LIMTF's Beginner Training Program, giving the festival's youngest performers the unique opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside the Advanced Company in a fully staged mainstage production. LIMTF's Intermediate Intensive students will also present Annie Jr., completing a season that features three productions in just two weeks.

"Opportunities like this are incredibly rare," said Steven Altinel, Founder and Artistic Director of the Long Island Musical Theatre Festival. "Our students spent the afternoon working on Carrie with someone who originated a role in the show. They didn't have to wait weeks or months to apply what they learned-they stepped on stage the very next day.'

Now in its 14th season, the Long Island Musical Theatre Festival provides students in grades 3 through college with an intensive pre-professional training experience that combines conservatory-style training with fully staged productions, live professional orchestras, and mentorship from current industry professionals. This summer's season features Carrie: The Musical, Gypsy, and Annie Jr.

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