Music Theatre Alumnus Brings Kris Kringle to Life

Photo courtesy Tom Shirilla

This holiday season, Mack Shirilla '13 stars in "Kris Kringle the Musical," written by Maria Ciampi with music and lyrics by Tim Janis. The show will be making its world premiere at Olmsted Performing Arts under the direction of Pierre Brault.

In an interview with Cleveland.com, Ciampi explains she is hoping the show, with its original book and score, will make it all the way to Broadway. "There has not been an original Christmas musical on Broadway in quite some time. The musicals of recent years have mainly been adaptations of films."

Shirilla will be playing the young Kringle, "a dreamy, unemployed toy maker living in the Big Apple whose life changes when he tangles with a ruthless toy company CEO".

"Kris Kringle" runs Dec. 5-13, with ticket prices ranging from $18-$22. Call 440-235-6722 or click here for tickets.

BW Grad with Cleveland Roots Radiates Broadway Star Power

(photo courtesy of Broadway.com)

At 24, recent BW alumnus Chris McCarrell '13 has found his way into the bright lights of Broadway, now performing as Marius in the revival of Les Misérables. As a hot young talent on the Great White Way, McCarrell is featured in a charming, broadway.com "Broadway Buzz" feature article, video and photo shoot.

McCarrell made his Broadway debut almost immediately after his graduation from Baldwin Wallace and he's optimistic about the future, expressing his ambition, in the broadway.com interview, to have a role in the creation of a new show within the next five years. His goal for 50 years from now? Working as a director or manager of a theater company.

McCarrell's performance resume also includes a turn in the NBC TV Peter Pan Live broadcast as one of the Lost Boys. In his time at BW, McCarrell performed in Pippin, Sweeney Todd, and Next to Normal.

For the current holiday season, McCarrell will headline "Christmas Carols with Chris McCarrell" at New York's "54 Below" on Monday, Dec. 7,  and he's tracked a solo for the 2015 “Broadway’s Carols for a Cure, Volume 17”, a 2-disc, annual CD of original and traditional holiday music to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Earlier this fall, McCarrell released, 'Now You're Here' a duet with Katie Rose Clarke, to benefit the same cause.

Although he's loving life in New York, McCarrell takes pride in his Northeast Ohio roots, telling broadway.com,  “I grew up south of Cleveland. Went to college west of Cleveland. I’m an all-around Clevelander."

BW Music Theatre Students to Hit the Stage at Nighttown

The BW Music Theatre Class of 2017 prepares to dazzle audiences at Nighttown

One important ingredient in developing Broadway-ready talent in the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music's Music Theatre program involves live performance opportunities for students on and off campus. Playhouse Square and Beck Center feature BW students in full productions, while smaller venues, like Nighttown, showcase BW's stars-in-the-making in a more intimate setting.

After debuting "Gold Standards" to packed houses here on campus, BW Music Theatre juniors will take the concert featuring selections from The Music Man, Brigadoon and Oklahoma to Nighttown on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the December 9 performance can be purchased online.

Nighttown will host Senior Cabaret Night on March 28, 2016, and the dining and entertainment destination will also feature BW Music Theatre students on May 2, 2016, for a performance of the senior showcase, a selection of standards performed by sophomores.

Radio Listeners Enjoy Ongoing Inside Look at BW Music Theatre

“I feel at home and at my best when I’m on stage,” said Warren Franklin ’19, Music Theatre major in the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music.

On top of rehearsals and schoolwork, Franklin will give WCLV Classical 104.9 listeners an inside look into the life of a first-year BW Conservatory student during a series of on-air interviews. In his first interview for the series, Franklin explained his admiration for BW's renowned Music Theatre program before he was even admitted.

“I knew ever since growing up, I wanted to go to BW,” said Franklin. “The shows were amazing, but it was when I saw Carrie the Musical at the Beck Center where I was just like, ‘this is my home, this is where I need to be.’”

A graduate of the Cleveland School of the Arts, Franklin is no stranger to the stage. This past June, he starred in Cain Park’s production of Godspell as Jesus.

With just a few weeks into his freshman year, Franklin has adjusted to a full course load to hone his craft. One class, Eurhythmics, comes natural to Franklin.

“I was a percussionist for 6 years in a competition drum corps,” Franklin said, “so eurhythmics comes very, very easy to me. I’m having a lot of fun in Eurhythmics; it’s helping me a lot.”

Listeners can tune into Franklin’s next episode on the WCLV Classical 104.9 live-stream channel on Ideastream.

2015 Music Theatre Grad Makes Broadway History in Les Miz

Kyle Jean-Baptiste made Broadway history twice last night as he stepped on stage as Jean Valjean in the beloved Broadway musical "Les Misérables." The 21-year-old tenor, who just graduated from BW's celebrated music theatre program in May, became both the youngest and first African American actor to play Victor Hugo's hero on Broadway, according to the theatre industry's Playbill.com.

Just a day after May graduation, Jean-Baptiste landed in the Les Miz ensemble in the roles of "Constable" and Courfeyrac and as understudy to Ramin Karimloo, the Tony-nominated actor who currently plays Jean Valjean. The July 23 evening production gave Jean-Baptist his first chance to go on as leading man.

"Valjean has been a dream role for me ever since I got involved with music theatre," Jean-Baptiste told Plain Dealer "Pop Diva" Andrea Simakis. "I'd always say, 'Wait until I'm old enough and then I'll play it, be patient.' Next thing you know I'm getting called in for his understudy on Broadway and I'm like . . . wait what?"

Simakis goes on to remind PD readers that "Great Lakes Theater fans got a taste of Jean-Baptiste last fall, when the then-Baldwin Wallace senior played rebel leader Enjolras in "Les Miz" at the Hanna Theatre under the direction of his teacher, Victoria Bussert, head of BW's powerhouse music theater program." 

Before bringing that production to Cleveland, Bussert staged Les Miz at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. This week, The Idaho Statesman also published a feature story noting that theatre goers in Boise also can say, "We knew Kyle Jean-Baptiste when...," as did the New London Barn Playhouse in New Hampshire.

"I knew he had star quality – but very little experience," Bussert told the PD about her first impressions of the Brooklyn, New York native at his BW audition. Since then, Bussert added, "He absorbed the training like a sponge!" Bussert believes last night was just the beginning.

"He has the kind of voice that can truly do anything, from the most legit music theater to jazz and rap. I doubt he will ever stop working! But the best thing about him – he has a huge heart, and it shows in his work and his life."

“It feels amazing to be here. I’m so grateful and humbled,” he said on a rehearsal break earlier this month. “It’s a dream come true. I can’t believe they’ve trusted me with this role.”
Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/07/22/3905768/former-idaho-shakespeare-festival.html#storylink=cpy

"American Idiot" Showcases Vocal Chops of BW Students, Grad

 Left to right: Jonathan Walker White '11, Dan Folino and Riley Ewing '17 in Beck's production of "American Idiot,"

Photo Courtesy: Patrick R. Murphy/PRM Digital Productions

Current BW music theatre students and a graduate are rocking Beck Center for the Arts summer production of "American Idiot," a rock opera based on a 2004 Green Day 2004 album. In a theatre preview for The Plain Dealer, Andrea Simakis credits Jonathan Walker White '11 in the role of "Tunny" and Riley Ewing '17 as "Will" with having "the pipes to pull off both raging, anthemic rock and the vocal demands of a musical."

In addition to the BW talent mentioned in the preview, Annalise Griswold '18 and Olivia Kaufman '18 are also in the production; Griswold appears in the role of "Heather" and Kaufman plays "Whatshername."

The show opens at Beck Center in Lakewood 8 p.m. Friday, July 10 with performances at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 16.

A host of BW talent is performing and producing coast to coast this summer. Watch this space for more info. Break legs #YJ4L!

Alumna Cast on CBS Summer Reality Series, "Big Brother"

It wouldn't be summer without another season of Big Brother on CBS. This season the BW community has a reason to tune in and watch the classic reality show: Meg Maley '12. 

The Music Theatre alumna was cast as one of the 14 houseguests and will spend three months living in the Big Brother house. Maley, a New Jersey native, currently lives and works in the Big Apple. According to her network bio, fellow Big Brother cast members describe her as adorable, sassy, likable and trustworthy. Her biggest fear about being on the show is being bored in the house, since she is so used to her fun and fast paced NYC lifestyle. 

The houseguests remain under constant video surveillance during their time in the house. Every week a houseguest gets evicted and the final houseguest living in the house wins a $500,000 cash prize. Maley is confident that she has what it takes to win, so we will have to watch and see! Season 17 premiered on CBS last night, with the finale anticipated for September 23. Go Meg!

BW to Broadway Touted on WKYC-TV and Huffington Post

BW's acclaimed Music Theatre program is shining in the media spotlight once again. A WKYC-TV report on the BW to Broadway pipeline featured Zach Adkins '15,  BW music theatre director Victoria Bussert and BW music theatre chair Scott Plate, plus a shout out for Kyle Jean-Baptiste '15, who graduated on a Sunday and booked a role in the Broadway production of Les Miz on Monday. The anchor lead-in to the report on Channel 3 compared the success of recent grads to "graduating law school and heading right to the Supreme Court."

Bussert is also highlighted in the Huffington Post, the subject of a profile by "The Audition Coach," Mary Anna Dennard.  In "Women in the Performing Arts: Vicky Bussert," the director of BW's music theatre program, who is also a working music theatre director, was asked to describe her "professional bliss." 

"I have always believed in the principle of training our students in order to be able to hire them," she tells Dennard. "My professional bliss is witnessing the light-bulb moment, when the student 'gets it,' and begins to thrive professionally and personally alongside seasoned performers in union productions I direct."

Bussert also cited BW's "proven New York track record: 18 showcases, and for the past six years, every graduating student has signed with an agent. For 15 years we have had a continuous presence on Broadway with six grads currently appearing in shows." 

And Jean-Baptiste will make seven!

Music Theatre Grad Wins Daytime Emmy

Sainty Nelsen '11 with her Daytime Emmy

With a degree from BW's esteemed Music Theatre program, plus film and television acting credits under her belt, Sainty (Reid)  Nelsen '11 has taken a new role in the entertainment industry as a producer for the online exclusive soap opera, The Bay.

It should come as no surprise that the latest role for this BW alumna paid off at this year's Daytime Emmys, with Nelsen taking home an Emmy for her work producing the series.

Currently shown on Blip, The Bay illuminates the darkness behind the glamorous lifestyles of Los Angeles' elite residents. The series came out on top in the Emmy category, "Outstanding New Approaches Drama Series."

In front of the camera, Nelsen will shine on television alongside Denis Leary and John Corbett in FX's new comedy Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll this summer.

Music Theatre Seniors and Grads Shine in the NYC Spotlight

The BW Music Theatre Class of 2015 took New York by storm during showcase week, and Plain Dealer Theatre Critic Andrea Simakis was there to highlight the stories of some of the acclaimed program's rising and already-shining Broadway stars.

To kick off her "Made in Cleveland" series, Simakis debuted a sneak peek video (by Mack Shirilla '13) of the performances that would wow New York agents and casting directors at BW first-ever solo showcase. (In the past, BW has paired up with another college to present the annual event.) The response confirmed that BW's reputation for preparing and launching top tier triple threats can stand on its own.

Another story in the PD series titled, "How did Adrianna Cleveland go from barista to Broadway hopeful?" chronicled how Music Theatre Director Victoria Bussert invited Cleveland, a 2012 BW Conservatory of Music vocal music graduate from Pittsburgh,  to perform with the seniors at showcase, where she was a big hit with agents.

Simakis also attended the Broadway opening of "An American in Paris," where she witnessed star Jill Paice '02 basking in the glow of the night with Bussert and others from BW cheering her on: "BW grad Jill Paice glitters at 'An American in Paris' opening night party."

Another touching reunion between BW teacher and successful student followed a matinee performance of "Les Misérables," when Chris McCarrell '13, who plays Marius in the Broadway revival, connected with his BW mentor at the stage door: "BW grad Chris McCarrell sees a familiar face after matinee of 'Les Miz'" McCarrell who also appeared in NBC's Peter Pan Live last December also recorded a video interview for cleveland.com.

Based on the enthusiastic reaction to BW's 2015 Showcase, Bussert will have many more Broadway reunions and successes to celebrate in the future.

(By the way, you have one more local chance to catch the 2015 showcase on May 6 at Nighttown - details in Cool Cleveland.

From BW to the CW: Alumna Cast as Super Hero

From Bagley Road to Broadway, now Broadway to Hollywood, BW Music Theatre grad, Ciara Renée '13, is already cemented in the spotlight and it all started when she was a student in the Conservatory of Music.

After starring in The Hunchback of Notre Dame as Esmeralda, Renée has picked up a new creative project as "Hawkgirl" in the upcoming CW Flash-Arrow spin-off series. "Hawkgirl", as reported by Entertainment Weekly, "is known for being one of DC Comics’ first female superheroes." Part of the character involves wings that extend from her back when angry.

After her Broadway debut in Big Fish in 2013, Renée also starred in the Broadway revival of Pippin as the Leading Player.

Although not much has been revealed about the CW series, be sure to watch this BW grad spread her wings as "Hawkgirl" and fight villains in the Flash-Arrow spin-off soon.

SCENE Readers Vote BW Music Theatre Chief "Best Director"

Following her stunning direction of the critically-acclaimed regional production of Les Misérables at Great Lakes Theatre in fall 2014, BW's Director of the Music Theatre, Victoria Bussert, is once again a Northeast Ohio fan favorite. Bussert's direction, described as bringing "a vital new life" to Les Miz, earned her Best Director in the 2015 Best of Cleveland awards from Cleveland Scene magazine.

It's just the latest achievement for Bussert, who's also led BW's Music Theatre program to national acclaim. Under Bussert's direction, many BW graduates appear on Broadway, off-Broadway, and countless national tours.

This spring, BW Music Theatre will dazzle in a production of Saturday Night Fever in Playhouse Square from May 1-3. Considering the sheer brilliance of Bussert's direction and BW's talented music theatre students, this production will surely be a "groovy" one to remember.

BW Alumna Stars in Broadway's "An American in Paris"

Jill Paice and her co-star Leanne Cope

Jill Paice '02 is starring in the Broadway musical An American in Paris, with previews beginning tonight, Friday, March 13, leading up to a Sunday, April 12 opening night at the Palace Theatre in New York City. A graduate of BW's acclaimed music theatre program, Paice has an impressive 13-year resume of experiences on stage from Broadway to The West End of London.

In a preview story, Broadway World calls the An American In Paris "the romantic story of a young American soldier, a beautiful French girl and an indomitable European city, each yearning for a new beginning in the aftermath of war."

Paice is originating the role of Milo Davenport in An American in Paris, which is inspired by the Academy-Award winning film of the same name. In the video below, Paice talks about the experience of performing the show in Paris.

BW Leads NYC Reading of "Saturday Night Fever" Musical

Bussert (left) and the alumni cast. Photo credit: Anthony Sangaria

The director of the acclaimed Baldwin Wallace University music theatre program, Victoria Bussert, had the chance to heat up midtown Manhattan on a recent February night, as she directed a private industry reading of the stage musical of Saturday Night Fever.

Bussert, along with fellow BW professor and music director of the music theatre program, David Pepin, led the reading with a lot of star power from former Yellow Jackets.

The cast for the evening included BW alumni Corey Mach '10, Shannon O'Boyle '12, Caitlin Houlahan '14, Libby Servais '08, Mack Shirilla '13, Jude McCormick '13, Chris Cowan '14, Anthony Sagaria '14, Wilson Bridges '07, Jay Ellis '12, Cole Burden '04, and Sainty Nelsen '13 among other notable Broadway performers detailed in Broadway World.

The reading came as part of the musical being made available for performance by groups outside of national tours. Bussert and Pepin will be heading BW's own production of Saturday Night Fever featuring current music theatre students for one weekend-only at Playhouse Square the first weekend of May.

Students Perform Oscar Songs With the Cleveland Pops

Four Baldwin Wallace Music Theatre students recently had the unique opportunity to perform with the Cleveland POPS Orchestra at Severance Hall.

Lucy Anders '15, Kelly Autry '16, Ellis Dawson '16 and Hannah-Jo Weisberg '15 performed songs from musicals such as West Side Story, Mama Mia, Mary Poppins and more.

The concert, conducted by word renowned maestro, Carl Topilow, was titled "The Academy Awards for Music" and featured musical selections recognized by the Academy over the past 80 years.

BW Talent Tops 2014 Cleveland Critics Circle Awards

Eight BW students, alumni and faculty are among the winners in this year's Cleveland Critics Circle Awards and the critics singled out BW's Music Theatre Department for special recognition. The “Best of” and “Superior Achievement” awards "recognize outstanding Cleveland area productions, performers, directors and designers who contributed to the professional theater scene during the 2014 season."

The Great Lakes Theater production of LES MISÉRABLES garnered Best Musical, Best Director for BW Music Theatre director Victoria Bussert, and Superior Achievement in Acting for BW alumna Claire Howes Eisentrout '13, and current students Kyle Jean Baptiste '15 and Keri Rene Fuller '15.

Also in the Musical category, the BW and Beck Center for the Arts collaboration on CARRIE: THE MUSICAL produced Best Actress recognition for Caitlin Houlahan '14 and a Best Choreographer nod for Gregory Daniels, head of BW's dance program, plus a Superior Achievement in music direction for Nancy Maier.

BW Music Theatre Chair, Scott Plate also picked up awards as Best Actor in a Non-Musical for SEMINAR and Superior Achievement in Directing for ‘NIGHT MOTHER," both at Beck Center.

The critics also chose to present "Special Recognition" to the Baldwin Wallace University Music Theatre Program "for producing an outstanding number of Broadway theater cast members."

Caitlin Houlahan '14 (center kneeling as Carrie) won the 2014 Clevelnd Critics Circle Award for Best Actress, Musical

Peter Pan Live! Puts BW Grads on Stage for Millions

Chris McCarrell 13' and Caitlin Houlahan 14' on the massive NBC sound-stage set of "Peter Pan Live"

Leading lady, Allison Williams, and Caitlin

Thursday's broadcast of "Peter Pan Live," put BW's Music Theatre program back into the local and national spotlight as cast members and BW alumni, Caitlin Houlahan 14' and Chris McCarrell 13' took to the airwaves.

Locally, Caitlin and Chris landed in the headlines in a variety of news outlets including The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com, and the paper in Aurora, where both grew up before attending BW.

The pair was also featured in an interview with Newsradio WTAM 1100's Will & Snyder in the Morning, and all evening on Cleveland's NBC affiliate, WKYC News Channel 3, which also covered a BW Music Theatre watch party.

"Peter Pan Live" clocked in NBC's second-highest Thursday ratings for non-sports telecasts in three years and the network's second-most viewers since the ER finale.

The broadcast was an even bigger hit on social media. According to Variety.com, Nielsen Twitter measured more than 475,000 tweets from 147,000 unique authors --nearly double the number of NBC's "Sound of Music Live" that aired last year. Caitlin tweeted out the photo with star Allison Williams above.

Even more opportunities are on the horizon for Caitlin and Chris. Caitlin will be returning to the stage In February for a one-night Lincoln Center performance of Parade alongside other Broadway stars. Meanwhile, Chris will jump right back into his role in the Broadway revival of Les Miserables.

Chris (top hat and striped socks) gestures to Peter Pan in the Neverland home of The Lost Boys.

Beck Show Stars "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" BW People

Celebrated Baldwin Wallace Music Theatre alumna, Rebecca Pitcher '94, is returning to the Cleveland stage, stepping into the title role in Beck Center for the Arts' run of Mary Poppins opening December 5 and the BW connections don't stop with the star.

Rebecca Pitcher '94

Known for her performance as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, Pitcher's run as the magical nanny will mark her second consecutive season with Lakewood's Beck Center following her role in She Loves Me last October.

The show is directed by BW's own Scott Plate, who chairs music theatre; the set is by BW theatre professor Jeff Herrmann with help from theatre major Mikhayla Wilkins '16; and the cast includes theatre majors Joey Corradi '16 and Kathryn Griffin '16.

Plate says, "I’ve had a wonderful experience directing this show, and the BW-Beck Center relationship continues to flourish.  Scott Spence and the entire Beck staff are pulling out all the stops."

Mary Poppins runs through January 4 with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. BW will return to Beck in February, as BW Music Theatre stages Dogfight.

Reviews Say BW Stages a Singular Sensation with A CHORUS LINE

Photo by Roger Mastroianni 

BW has another musical theatre sensation on its hands as A CHORUS LINE has played to packed houses at the Kleist Center for Performing Arts. The Plain Dealer raves, "You'd be hard-pressed to see a better rendition [of A CHORUS LINE] anywhere." In a second article, the PD's Andrea Simakis also recounts the Tony winner's master class that prepped the BW student performers for greatness.

A review on LandOfCleve.net describes BW's production as "a chance to experience a production that is so faithful to the original version and features such phenomenal talent both onstage and behind the scenes that you can truly say you witnessed another "Singular Sensation!"

Julia Hynes as Cassie - Photo by Roger Mastroianni 

And, in reviewing both casts, Cool Cleveland, calls the show "stellar," heaping praise on BW's celebrated music theatre director, Victoria Bussert, the award-winning head of BW’s dance program, Gregory Daniels, and BW’s new music theatre music director (direct from Broadway), David Pepin.

Pepin previewed the show for ideaStream audiences, appearing with WCLV morning show host Jacqueline Gerber.

For tickets, call the Box Office at 440-826-2240, Monday-Friday noon to 5 p.m. or visit www.bw.edu/tickets.

From BW to FX, Music Theatre Alum in New TV Series

BW Music Theatre alum, Sainty (Reid) Nelsen '11 has been cast in the FX TV Network's new series, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, a comedy created by and starring Denis Leary.

The show centers around Leary's character, Johnny Rock, a washed-up, middle-aged rocker and former lead singer of a legendary 90s band that never quite made it big. Hoping for one more shot at greatness, Rock tries to get the band back together.

Nelsen will play the role of Becky, the best friend of 22-year-old aspiring singer Gigi, played by Elizabeth Gillies. In an interview with TV Grapevine, Nelsen described her character as "a cooky, fun, Southern girl who is experiencing NYC for the first time." Other cast members include John Corbett, Elaine Hendrix, Robert Kelly and Kate Hodge.

FX Network has picked up the series for 10 episodes, which will air in 2015. In the meantime, Nelsen is moving on to projects for the big screen, filming Donnybrook, starring Michael Imperioli, in Philadelphia this month, and then heading to Louisiana to shoot Something Blue being produced by Chris Elliott.