"Classic Broadway" features music, theater students

Faculty members Timothy Morningstar, director, and Dr. Karen Becker, music director, have been working with a cast of 21 talented music and theater students on a program that features classic Broadway tunes. Composers from the 1930s, '40s and '50s include Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter and Rogers and Hammerstein.

"Lyric Scenes Workshop is the largest cast in recent memory with especially strong singers and actors." stated Morningstar. "This gave us the perfect opportunity to stage a larger production."

The Broadway review, fully staged by Morningstar, will feature solos, duets and large dance numbers.

The production called for a team to take care of everything from costumes and props to music accompaniment. Among the crew are students Kurtis Rivers, set designer and technical director, and Mason Merriam, who provided the lighting design. Antonette Knoedl choreographed the dance numbers as part of her senior project. All three students are theater majors.

Becker will accompany the singers on piano. One of her students, Iana Avedian, is the assistant music director and will provide accompaniment for several songs.

"The goal of this semester's Lyric Scenes Workshop was to familiarize students with standard Broadway repertoire and to explore the musical and dramatic approaches to works of this era," explained Becker. "It's been a blast."

For more information, call the Performing Arts Information Line at 518-564-2283.