Broadway Buddy: Mentorship Cabaret

Vanguard Theater Company presents the annual Broadway Buddy Mentorship Cabaret at the Performing Arts Center in South Orange.

Broadway Buddy provides an experience like no other!

Broadway Buddy: Mentorship Cabaret
Photo courtesy of Jessica Sporn.

Vanguard Theater Company‘s Broadway Buddy Program is an outreach program designed to offer a diverse group of musical theater artists a unique opportunity for one-on-one mentorship. It invited ages from 12 – 24 years old. The mentorship involved working with professional theater artists, truly giving the youth and young adults the opportunity to develop supportive relationships with those who have excelled in their career. The program ran from March 1 till May 1, 2017.  As a result, the culminating cabaret will be performed at the Performing Arts Center in South Orange. Get your tickets today by calling or visiting SOPAC.

“I live in Montclair and love the diverse artistic talent and opportunities that are all around us in this town.  I very much hope that the promise of an arts center in the Seymour Street development comes true,” exclaimed Jessica Sporn, Project Manager and one of the Board of Directors of Vanguard.

It’s no surprise that Montclair is home to two of these aspiring artists, Samy Cordero, 15 and Ayla Schwartz, 10. Samy Cordero, is a sophomore at Montclair High School, has been performing for as long as she can remember. A veteran of many productions with Gas Lamp Players and New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Samy is performing with mentor Joshua Morgan. Morgan, who just finished the most recent revival of Les Misérables on Broadway, is a Montclair High School graduate, who also produces and directs. Says Cordero, “we recently went to see Josh perform in his own show at 54Below. He was incredible. I am so proud to have him as my mentor – he really has his hands and feet in all aspects of the business, and I am learning so much from him.

Ayla Schwartz is the youngest of the 25 mentees performing in the Broadway Buddy Mentorship Cabaret. A fourth grader at Montclair’s Watchung Elementary School, Schwartz just booked her first professional role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker at the Queens Theater in the Park. Schwartz is performing with Alex Dreier, a 13 year old Musical Theater veteran from Glen Ridge, NJ. Schwartz credits Dreier, who recently performed as Peter in the Broadway show Finding Neverland, with giving her valuable tips to help her nail the Helen Keller role.

To those interested in getting involved with Vanguard as soon as possible, they will be offering summer sessions for eagered students. Students age 7 – 14 are invited to Kids Camp, which runs from July 24 – August 4. It will involve acting, dance and voice instruction with broadway artists as well as daily show rehearsals. The camp will be held Monday-Friday from 9 A.M. – 4 P.M. at the South Orange Middle School and tuition is $325 per week. Spaces are limited and scholarship applications are available upon request.

Sleepaway Camp is a 16 day intensive program from July 29 – August 13. There is a Junior Division from ages 12 -14 and a Senior Division from ages 15 – 18. Open auditions will be on May 7, from 10 A.M. – 5 P.M. at NJSDA, located on 593 Bloomfield Avenue in Bloomfield. It’ll offers a complete performing arts immersion, plus all the fun of a great summer camp experience.

For further information please visit their website: vanguardtheater.org, email: vanguardtheatercompany@gmail.com or call 862-205-3525

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