This year’s sophomore musical theatre class is preparing for its popular showcase at the annual Parent’s Weekend. This showcase, a staple event for the department, offers students the platform to develop their performance skills while celebrating some of Broadway’s finest musicals.
In an interview with Quinn Starrett, a sophomore musical theatre major, she explained more about the process of articulating this event. She explained how the showcase serves multiple purposes for the musical theatre class.
“It’s for Parents Weekend, so it’s a showcase for the parents who are sending their children here,” says Starrett. “But it’s also a great way for sophomores to learn how to sing in an ensemble, work together, and learn from each other. Since we have solos, it’s also a chance to work on new music that we haven’t explored before.”
This year’s showcase has a particularly exciting theme: Tony Award Winners. Every musical number featured will be from shows that have won the prestigious Tony Award for Best Musical. “We’re doing lots of amazing numbers,” Starrett reveals. “All of the mashups are really well thought out and done beautifully by Tim Marquette,” a Teaching Artist for the Conservatory and this show’s Music Director.
Preparation for the showcase is intense, with students balancing daily rehearsals alongside their regular coursework. The process, which began just over a week ago, includes ensemble rehearsals, individual solo work, and choreography sessions that can last from 1 to 3 hours. Despite the demanding
schedule, the experience has brought the sophomore class closer together. Starrett shared that, while balancing busy schedules is a challenge, the connection and support among classmates has been a vital part of their success in preparing for the event.
Additionally, Directors, Kaylee Bender and Bella Valencia, senior musical theatre majors, and Assistant Director, Kendal Williams, a junior musical theatre major, are working not only as directors, but as choreographers, leveraging their own experiences to mentor the sophomores and ensure the production is successful.
Bender stated, “It’s so fun coming back and getting to work with all of the upcoming talent and also underclassmen because we don’t get a lot of opportunities to be with them. They’re all so hardworking and talented, and it’s fun to see how much they’ve grown from last year into this year. It’s also a great creative outlet for us, just everyone mushing minds together.”
While preparing the students is rewarding, both directors noted the challenges of transitioning from peers to leadership roles. “The most challenging thing is knowing that these are also our peers and friends, so having to put them in numbers and situations where they might not be the biggest fans of us now because we have to be professional,” Bender admitted.
However, the experience has been formative. Bender and Williams both expressed that working on the showcase has provided them with valuable leadership experience. “Going from student mode to assistant director mode is very interesting, but it’s so much fun because it’s like flexing a new muscle,” Williams reflected.
The showcase promises to be a fun and engaging experience for both the performers and the audience. While the students are developing important skills for their future careers, the primary goal is for everyone to enjoy the performance.
The sophomore musical theatre showcase will take place on October 11th and 12th at 7 PM in GRW 1.
For more information on events at this year’s Family Weekend, be sure to visit Point Park University’s website.
