Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Now Accepting Applications For 2023 Cabaret Junior Fellows

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center is now seeking 15- to 18-year-old vocalists for its 2023 Cabaret Junior Fellows cohort.

Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at 11:59pm PST. The Junior Fellows program is a part of the O'Neill's annual Cabaret & Performance Conference, which brings leading Cabaret artists to perform at the organization's seaside campus in Waterford, CT and provides development opportunities for up-and-coming artists. Led by program director Brad Simmons, Junior Fellows will be mentored by professional faculty in vocal technique, movement, and more.

"The O'Neill's Junior Fellows program, under the expert guidance of Brad Simmons, is unique," said Grammy and Emmy Award-winner and Cabaret & Performance Conference Artistic Director John McDaniel.

"The Junior Fellows, selected by audition, will experience a rigorous performance bootcamp at our seaside campus in CT, all in preparation for public performances. This year, we'll be featuring the dynamic music of the late, great, Olivia Newton-John."

Applicants will be asked to prepare a video audition consisting of two contrasting songs from a provided list (available on the O'Neill website). Songs should be performed with karaoke accompaniment tracks, and performances should demonstrate vocal range and prowess and correct stylings.

"We're seeking energetic, confident teens hopelessly devoted to sharing the songbook of Olivia Newton-John," said Simmons. "Diving into Newton-John's catalog including songs from the movies Grease and Xanadu, along with her many country, pop and rock hits, the selected Junior Fellows will shine for two historically sold-out performances. In addition, the Juniors have the opportunity to participate in nightly open-mic performances and will appear in the Grand Finale show."

Tuition for the program is $1,000, which includes all meals. On-campus housing is available on request. With the support of generous donors, the O'Neill endeavors to ensure access to the Junior Fellows program for students regardless of economic status by providing need-based scholarships. Applications can be submitted at bit.ly/jrcab. More information about the Cabaret & Performance Conference and the Junior Fellows program is available at www.theoneill.org/cab.

The O'Neill is the country's preeminent organization dedicated to the development of new works and new voices for the American theater. Founded in 1964, and named in honor of Eugene O'Neill, four-time Pulitzer Prize-winner and America's only playwright to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, the O'Neill has been home to more than 1,000 new works for the stage and thousands more emerging artists. Scores of projects developed at the O'Neill have gone on to full production at theaters around the world. O'Neill programs include the National Playwrights Conference, National Music Theater Conference, National Critics Institute, National Puppetry Conference, Cabaret & Performance Conference, and National Theater Institute - which offers six credit-earning undergraduate training programs. In addition, the O'Neill owns and operates the Monte Cristo Cottage as a museum open to the public. The O'Neill is the recipient of two Tony Awards and the National Medal of Arts. www.theoneill.org.