The annual event, created and funded by Music Theatre International CEO Freddie Gershon and his wife Myrna, welcomes a handful of teachers from across the country to immerse themselves in the New York theatre scene for a weekend each summer.
The teachers benefit from master classes with Broadway professionals, as well as behind-the-scenes tours and performances of Rent Off-Broadway and the new Broadway musical Sister Act.
In addition to Carlyle and Grigsby, the teachers will also work with the songwriting team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who have penned the scores to A Christmas Story: The Musical and James and the Giant Peach. Also planned are sessions with directors, producers, actors and designers, who will share tips on directing, choreography, music, design and marketing.
The eight teachers participating in the event were selected during the Atlanta Junior Theatre Festival last January. They include John Jung, Lynne Bordelon, Rozalynn Taylor Fulton, Tiffany Dunagan, Paula Chanda, Steven Spicher, Nicole McGann and Shell Ramirez.
"I feel strongly about personally investing in these teachers by immersing them in experiential skills they can take home and share with students and other teachers," Gershon said in a statement. "It's crucial we keep theatre alive in this country by working with both educators and children. Myrna and I feel that America's teachers should be honored and appreciated. Our future is in their hands."
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