Summer Musical Theatre Class

OHMI – Summer Musical Theatre Class – Hello Dolly!

We had such fun last year doing Pirates of Penzance we’re doing another class!

What: an 8 week, 3 times/week class (until tech weeks) to teach students musical theatre, including acting, singing, character exploration, choreography, costuming, stage presence, pit orchestra, technical aspects, etc. This year’s show will be Hello Dolly!, a witty and very entertaining story about Dolly Levi, a widow who helps arrange things for the citizens of Yonkers, NY.

Dates: Rehearsals – Mondays, Tuesdays, & Thursdays – 9 am – 1:30 pm
June 20th – July 28th at the OHMI Waterford location

Tech week/Dress rehearsals (at WK PAC) – August 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 – 11th

Performances – August 12th & 13th at 7 pm at WK Performing Arts Center

Who: Students in 6 – 12th grade, including seniors who graduated in the spring of 2011
Maximum number of students: 45, not including orchestra members & crew

Orchestra members: must audition if not in OHMI Symphony, or be approved by Mr. Beard

Crew: students will work on props, set, lighting, etc.

Registration: students need to be registered by May 24th

Tuition: $200 for cast members, $100 for orchestra members.
Due to the costs of the production, we cannot offer a sibling discount. The cost includes tuition, costumes, and a voucher for two tickets per family to one of the performances. Fees are non-refundable unless someone from the waiting list takes your place in the show.
Parents can make arrangements for multiple payments if you wish. There are some scholarship funds available.

What the tuition pays for:

Putting on a quality musical theatre production costs money. Funds are needed for paying for royalties & performance rights, renting librettos (choral books and scripts), buying/renting the orchestration, purchasing/making costumes, buying materials to build the set, props, advertising, tickets, rehearsal space rental, and provide some renumeration for the staff. The biggest cost is to pay for the venue.

We feel very strongly that it is important to use the PAC for the students to have an authentic theatrical experience. By using the Performing Arts Center, we can provide the lighting, sound, stage, set and technical aspects needed for a quality production. The stage will have sound amplification, and we will have use of wireless microphones so young voices do not have to strain to be heard. Also, the orchestra will get experience playing in the pit, just like a professional production. All of these things are important to have a successful, educational experience.

But we’re going on vacation! – If we know schedule conflicts ahead of time, we can work around it in the rehearsal schedule.

Benefits to teaching drama/musicals:

Experience in the Arts is not just about “doing plays” or learning how to move or speak in a specific style. It encourages self development; esteem building; learning to express oneself and sharing. Drama is situated in people’s own knowledge and experience and generates further knowledge and understandings from there. Drama deals with the world of human experience and because it is experiential, it provides realistic and purposeful experiences for individuals. It’s also a lot of fun to do a musical! Using your imagination to bring a story to life is a grand & glorious thing. Experience in the performing arts helps participants develop real life skills.
Most importantly, these skills are taught in a fun, non-threatening way. Students aren’t necessarily aware of any of these educational benefits – they’ll just be having fun.

Through musicals, participants:
• Improve confidence and self esteem
• Polish performance skills
• Develop imagination and creativity
• Develop communication skills
• Develop a love of literature and the spoken word
• Train their voices
• Gain oral presentation skills
• Speech correction
• Act in plays
• Prepare for auditions if needed
• Perform duologues
• Work together as a group
• Express their dramatic abilities
• Develop better thinking skills
• Teach students to be more expressive in their music

How can I sign up? – Go to OHMI’s website, download the form, and mail it to their address on the website.
Online registration is available now through May 24th.

Questions? Email us at info@ohmimusic.com

Cherub Beard