Broadway in South Africa Holds Final Program with Chicago Children's Choir this Month

Since 2009, Broadway South Africa has conducted empowerment through the arts programming in disadvantaged communities throughout South Africa. The organization has raised close to $500,000, helping to improve the lives and future's of student's dramatically affected by poverty, violence, abuse, and HIV/AIDS.

Their June program will include over 50 students from Chicago Children's Choir, along with 40 students from the Broadway in South Africa program in Durban, and 15 students from the Mofu School located in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. During the June program, Leadership Students will teach in conjunction with Broadway in South Africa for the first time.

Broadway in South Africa has conducted workshops in South African Townships for more than 1600 youth. The organization was born out of a project created by a group of student's at Northwestern University, now known as The Cape Town Project. Programming began with a series of arts workshops in acting, dancing, playwriting, and music. Over the next five years, it evolved to include a yearly leadership initiative, including Leadership NYC. During this program, five South African students spent a week in New York City, participating and performing in various workshops, as well as visiting museums, and seeing two Broadway shows. The organization has also provided scholarship opportunities for selected student's to pursue a higher education.

A highlight of the organization in New York City was the annual benefit, where leading composers created original songs based on student work and performed by artists from the Broadway community.

"We'd like to thank everyone who has supported our organization and who has volunteered at one of our events or workshops in the past," said Broadway in South Africa Executive Director Sean Bradford. "Because of your support we have been able to make a tremendous impact in the lives of the student's we served. The positive effects of this work will be seen for years to come."

Artists who have taught as part of Broadway in South Africa include:

Uzo Aduba, Zach Bandler, Stanley Bahorek, Jen Bender, Sean Bradford, Lilli Cooper, Steven Cutts, Chris Ferro, Rachel Frankenthal, Ben Gettinger, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Jon Erik Goldberg, Ariana Grande, Frankie James Grande, Emma Hunton, Adam Kantor, Morgan Karr, Kelly King, Chelsea Krombach, Nicole Mangi, Paris Remillard, Courtney Reed, Brett Schrier, Jeremy Schonfeld, Christopher Spaulding, Jared Stein, Lauren Strigari, Adam Wachter, Lisa Nicole Wilkerson, and Zach Zirlin.

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