Our Very First Sunday Spotlight!

The New Paradigm Theatre's Youth Board is so excited to announce our very first Sunday Spotlight!

The Sunday Spotlight, which will be tomorrow at 8pm, will feature Leenya Rideout (Company, Cabaret, Warhorse, Cyrano). She was recently cast as Rhetta in a revival of Pump Boys and Dinettes directed by John Doyle that is rumored to open on Broadway in the near future. She has performed in the U.S, Canada and Asian tours of My Fair Lady as Eliza Doolittle. She can be seen in films such as Mona Lisa Smile, Loser, Bittersweet, and The Singing Biologist. Her TV Credits include: the PBS Great Performance Broadcasts of Company, Cyrano de Bergerac, and My Favorite Broadway. She appeared on USA Network's Nashville Star and the Jerry Lewis Telethon. 

Regionally, she has been: Gussie in Merrily We Roll Along at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha at ACCC, Cardenio at ART, Summer of 42 at Mill Mountain Theater, The Canterbury Tales at the Guthrie Theater, Guys and Dolls  at North Carolina Theatre, Avenue X at Cincinnati Playhouse & Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Honky Tonk Highway at The Florida Studio Theatre, and Carousel at the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre. She performed regionally in Holidays with the Chalks (at the Alliance Theatre), a musical she co-wrote.

As a fiddle player and vocalist/arranger, she has performed in bands such as The RoSSies, Finn's Fury, Gael Force, and the Neil Scott Johnson Band.  Her debut solo album of 14 original songs "Phoenix" is available on iTunes.

Please join the New Paradigm  Theatre's Youth Board in this Sunday Spotlight. You can register to attend at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8841210730837958656

~The NPT Youth Board

Shakespeare Monologue Competition

On Thursday, February 7th, Trumbull High School took part in the Shakespeare Monologue Competition. The requirements: Memorize up to 20 lines of a Shakespeare Monologue and perform it in front of a panel of judges. The winner of the school round would compete against others in a regional level. The winner of the regional level will then compete at Lincoln Center with other winners. This type of competition, as far as I know, is a national  event. The winner for Trumbull High School was Sophomore Justin Jager, who will attend the regional competition. Sophomore Jason Keane stated that, "it was an amazing opportunity and I look forward to competing next time."

-Nathan Clift, 15, Trumbull High School

The Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's plays were often performed

Sunday Spotlights Announcement!

Ever wanted to attend a master class featuring famous actors from Broadway, Film and TV, but didn't want to leave the comfort of your own home? The New Paradigm Theatre (NPT) Youth Board is producing a "virtual master class" that is free to everyone and you can tune in right from your computer.  The Sunday Spotlights will be your way to connect and learn from the best in entertainment industry.

Our guest star of the week will talk about how they got started, challenges in their careers, offer tips to listeners and answer your questions. 

We would like your help before we launch.  Please answer these questions:  

1. What time would you consistently tune in on Sunday nights for a half hour "virtual master class? 

2. What stars would you eventually like to see from on stage/in front of the camera to behind the scenes? 

3. What other related topics would you like us to cover ie Actor Finances, Health and Nutrition for performers etc.

4. Do you like this idea and would you tell your friends about it?    

Please reply to nptyouthboard@gmail.com with your answer. More information to come. 

 

- The New Paradigm Theatre Youth Board

Super Bowl XLVII

Game Review: Super Bowl XLVII

On February 3, 2013 my family accompanied me to a friend's house for a Super Bowl XLVII party. At the party we enjoyed a variety of snacks and munches throughout the night while being entertained by the endless thrill of football. The Ravens took the 49ers head on in the first half bringing the score to 21-6 with the Ravens in the lead. There was a small glitch in the game as we neared the end of the third quarter, when half of the stadium's power went completely out forcing them to run on generators for a total of 33 minutes until such time came that the power was restored at 7:58pm followed by the resume of play at 8:10. The cause of this outage has not yet been determined. The 49ers made a steady comeback as they neared the Ravens bringing the score to a close 28-23 at the end of the 3rd quarter. After both teams fought it out gallantly, the Ravens came out the victors with a score of 34-31. This was an amazing way to enjoy a world renown event while in the comfortable presence of my fellow teens. I hope you all enjoyed the game as much as I did!



-Kevin Durkee, 15, Amity High School

FCCC Concert!

Fairfield Country Children’s Choir (FCCC) is a community-based choral program made up of 300 children in grades four through twelve from communities in and around Fairfield County, Connecticut. The mission of FCCC is to provide children the opportunity to participate in a musical experience, which is challenging, rewarding and enjoyable. 

Our motto is “have fun being awesome” and that is exactly what we did tonight in our annual Broadway concert. We sang songs from The Wizard of Oz, Guys and Dolls, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, and The Little Mermaid. Needless to say, the night was spectacular! With many phenomenal solos and great ensemble numbers this show was hard to beat! I recommend buying tickets to our next concert, which will be in the Spring. We raised money for the choir through a number of raffle’s and a silent auction. 

In the picture Katie Schreiner, Casey Longley, and I are getting ready to perform in Act II. Overall, the night was a huge success and we all did indeed “have fun being awesome”!

Broadway Review: Phantom of the Opera

A few weeks ago, a friend (Sophie Katz) and I went to go see Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre in New York City! Far beneath the great Paris Opera House, lives the Phantom (Hugh Panaro) in a dark existence. Ashamed by his appearance and feared by all in the opera house, the love that he has for Christine Daae (Marni Raab) is extremely strong and cannot go unnoticed. He does whatever he needs to do to win Christine's heart. This has to be one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. The music is perfect and the acting was flawless!
"Even though this was my fourth time seeing the performance of Phantom of the Opera, the chandelier crashing down still surprises me and is my favorite part!" says Sophie Katz, senior at Norwalk High School. This is definitely a must-see!!!

-Shelby Vetare, 17, Norwalk High School

New England Ballet's 21st Annual Production of "The Nutcracker"

Throughout the winter season, I have had the honor to play the roles of The Sugar Plum Fairy and the Russian Princess in my ballet company's annual performances of the "The Nutcracker". In addition to having 5 public performances at the Parsons Auditorium and Klein Memorial Theatre, we also had the opportunity to be on tour, performing smaller versions of the show at various schools and events all throughout the month of December. It was a unique opportunity to be able to dance in so many different places, and it was especially fun to miss some days of school to perform!

This year was a special year for me because the Sugar Plum Fairy is technically the lead role of the entire ballet. You get 17 minutes straight of stage time, which equals long rehearsals in the studio and extra attention from the choreographers and directors. The man I danced with (shown in the picture below), was Jonathan Mendez, and he is a professional ballet dancer from Columbia! It was really exciting to dance with a professional, and I tried to learn everything that I could from our time together. The whole cast in general got along great this year, with very little back-stage drama. It was a younger cast, as many of our older dancers went off to college last year, and it was a beautiful thing to see all of my friends grow and learn over the course of the season. "Nutcracker" is definitely the highlight of our winter, and the extensive hours spent in the studio every week are a great way for us to foster our dancing and form great friendships. I will never forget what a wonderful year this has been and what a great show we all put on!

Don't miss New England Ballet Company's upcoming spring season! Go to www.newenglandballet.org to learn about our upcoming events, have us come perform at your school or event, and order tickets! You can also like our page on Facebook!

- Shaina Arsenault, 15 years old
Joseph A. Foran High School

Thoroughly Modern Millie: Inside out

     This past weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in Lighthouse Youth Theatre's production of Thoroughly Modern Millie at Yorktown Stage, as Rita (Priscilla Girl) and a Stenographer. This was my first time performing with this theatre and I feel as if it was a great learning experience. The director John Fanelli and choreographer Jesse Pellegrino had high expectations and they really produced a great show. Unfortunately, I was sick with the flu during tech week and was unable to make any of the rehearsals. John and Jesse were so understanding and helped me catch up on everything I missed. Luckily, I was healthy for the show and able to perform.
     "In the fast-paced 1920s, a girl from Kansas moves to New York City to marry a rich man.  She samples the "thoroughly modern" flapper life, makes friends, finds unexpected romance and nearly gets caught up in a white slavery ring in this stage version of the 1967 film musical" (playbillvault.com).
     High school student Skylar says, "The story line was difficult to follow but the quality of the performers was amazing." Adult audience member Lynnette says, "The costumes and the dancing was very true to the 1920's setting."
     Lighthouse Youth Theatre's motto is "Changing lives one show at a time." Working with these choreographers, directors, and fellow cast mates was life changing. I made many new friends and I plan on having many other LYT productions in my future.
-Shay LaRusso
 15
 Norwalk High School

Masterclass - Robin DeJesus

This afternoon, I had the incredible opportunity to work with two-time Tony nominee Robin de Jesus. He has performed on Broadway as Sonny in In the Heights, Angel in Rent and Jacob in La Cage aux Folles. I never would have expected him to come to Stamford High School to hold an audition workshop, and work one-on-one with us on our perspective audition songs for Guys and Dolls. He was the most enthusiastic and  one of the nicest people I have ever met. I'll admit, I was extremely nervous to sing my 32-bar cut of "Lonely Town" from On The Town in front of someone like him. But he was so excited to work with me, and gave me the simplest and most effective feedback. I applied his feedback the second time I sang the song, and I immediately could tell the difference. It was such an incredible experience, and I am unbelievably grateful for his time. Thank you, Robin!

-Matt, 16
Stamford High School

Broadway Review: Evita

The truth is she never left you. The Broadway revival of one of Andrew Llyod Webber's memorable musicals returned to Broadway in 2012. On January 26th, it will close it's doors. I can recall hearing an audience member behind me claim that this show was one of Broadway's best shows. I would have to agree. Audience member Natalie said, "I wasn't a huge Evita fan, but now I can't get the music out of my head. They did a fantastic job with the show." Evita closes at the end of January, so if you can catch it, do it. It is a masterpiece: from the realistic sets to the spot on choreography to the amazing cast, I am shocked it didn't win Best Revival at the Tony Awards. The cast is led by: Elena Roger as Eva Peron, Ricky Martin as Che and Michael Cerveris as Juan Peron.

~Nathan Clift, 15 years old, Trumbull High School

 

Evita Review (couldnt post video directly for some reason...)

Broadway Review: Bring It On

Broadway Review: Bring It On

On Sunday, December 30th, I took a trip with some family to the heart of New York City to see what I saw  as one of the greatest modern musicals ever made. Bring It On, a rather new musical tells the tale of a high school cheerleading squad and how their captain is forced to transfer schools and compete against her own team. when asked about her experience at the show, a fellow audience member Alyssa Weisberger, 16, said "I thought it was put together very well and the skill involved with the show was outstanding. As a fellow cheerleader, I loved it!!" My personal favorite was the part in which a rather small girl was projected into the air about 50 feet above our heads and was caught by two young men who simply eased her to the floor into a roll. The precision and accuracy in this show was absolutely astonishing. Considering me being in my teenage years, I believe the aspect of the show that really jumped out at me was how upbeat and exciting the energy coming from the cast was. There was also the concert-like aspect from all the bright stage lights being shown out into the audience. The show has obviously proven itself Broadway material as it takes its tour around the globe as of January 3rd and will be returning to Broadway stages this coming August. Don't miss it!!
-Kevin Durkee, 15, Amity High School

Broadway Review: Once

On Saturday, December 29th, my friend Aidan and I trekked into NYC to see Once on Broadway at the Bernard Jacobs Theater. Even in mezzanine seats, we could easily see the permanent set, portraying a small bar in Ireland. The story follow a young Irishman who is about to give up on music (and maybe his life), when a young Czech woman stops him. She asks him to fix her "Hoover" (vacuum), and offers to pay him with musical talents of her own. He begins to reconnect to his music, and love, through her. The show was fantastically performed, and I was impressed to find out that the cast accompanied the entire show, each member playing with as much prowess as the first. Once may have been the best Broadway show I have seen, and is definitely worth the 7 awards it received for Best Musical!
-Matt S.