Previous Masterclasses

FALL 2021 WORKSHOP In October 2021 we held our first in-person weekend long workshop. Click here to see what all was offered!  WAILING WARM-UPS WITH SHANNAH RAE – Thursday, August 12 at 6:00 CST – $55 In the Wailing Warm-Ups Workshop, Shannah will teach you 10 different techniques/warm-ups that she uses with her pop/rock pros that will help you access the vocal styles and sounds required for current Broadway shows. In addition to teaching you these techniques, Shannah will provide you with the sheet music and ‘groove tracks’ so you can continue practicing and improving those pop/rock chops after the workshop has ended. Can’t attend? You can still register and receive the playback recording. Meet Shannah – Shannah Rae embodies a distinctive blend of New York City polish, midwestern heart, and southern charm whether she’s on the stage, behind the table, or teaching her signature program, Wail with Shannah Rae. During her time in NYC, she has coached singers in Broadway shows and National Tours such as West Side Story, Miss Saigon, Moulin Rouge, Rock of Ages, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Chicago, Ain’t Too Proud and on the television series Pose FX. BROADWAY MOCK AUDITION WITH LAURA LEIGH TURNER AND CHAD BURRIS – Monday, May 18 at 4:30 CST & Tuesday, May 19 at 5:00 CST ONLY OBSERVER SLOTS REMAIN FOR THIS MASTERCLASSES. Join Laura Leigh Turner and Chad Burris on Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19 as they lead you through a mock audition. This masterclass will include performer and observer slots. Performers will have the opportunity to “submit themselves” for a role in one of the following shows: Mean Girls, Frozen, Dear Evan Hansen, or The Sound of Music. Students should be mindful of their age when selecting the role for which they would like to submit. Students performing will choose an audition song from the show they select, or a song in the style of the show. They will also be provided with sides to submit. In addition to getting feedback on their audition material, readings, and overall video quality – students will have the opportunity to partake in a short broadway-style dance call. Students interested in performing should sign up and submit payment by Wednesday, May 13. Students observing can participate in the dance call. The dance call is only occurring on Monday, May 18. Students who sign up are allowed to attend both Monday, May 18 and Tuesday, May 19. This is the grand finale masterclass of the semester – so please join us for what is sure to be a fun and exciting experience! Scroll down to read Laura Leigh and Chad’s bios. Note: It is $15 to observe and $30 to perform. BIOS! Meet Laura Leigh – Laura Leigh Turner is a native of North Little Rock, AR and a graduate of North Little Rock High School. She currently lives in New York City where she is starring as Karen Smith in Mean Girls on Broadway. She got her start in the drama program at NLRHS and on the stage at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. She is passionate about her family, her faith, and the arts. Instagram: @lauraleighturner Website: lauraleighturner.com Meet Chad  – Chad Burris is an Arkansas native who now resides in New York City, was as an actor and writer in New York City. He currently is playing Damian Hubbard in Mean Girls on Broadway. Earlier in the year, he made his Broadway debut as Olaf in Frozen.  Other credits include: Original Cast, Almost Famous at The Old Globe; The Muny; Cleveland Playhouse; Cape Playhouse; and Arkansas Repertory Theatre. He is also an accomplished writer and producer, having created the critically acclaimed web series, “City Boyz.” CROSSOVER ARTISTS: WORKING ACROSS MUSICAL THEATRE & CLASSICAL GENRES – Tuesday, May 12 at 5:00 CST Don’t put yourself in a box! Elisabeth and Jacob Watson will help you learn to make yourself a more marketable and flexible singer by exploring musical theatre and classical genres. There are performer and observer slots available for this masterclass. Performers will have the opportunity to sing and receive feedback on a musical theatre song (1 minute cut or less) from the Golden Age, or they can submit an aria, art song, or folk song from classical repertoire. Scroll down to read Elisabeth and Jacob’s bios! Note: It is $15 to observe and $20 to perform. Meet Elisabeth – Elisabeth is originally from Memphis, TN, but currently resides in a suburb of NYC with her husband and Broadway actor, Jacob Keith Watson, and their sassy kitty Lucia.  Elisabeth earned her B.M. in Vocal performance at Ouachita Baptist University as well as began her Masters in Vocal Performance at Florida State University, where she was also a private voice teacher for the undergrad program. She currently has a private studio where she teaches all ages.  Elisabeth is classically trained and has performed in both Opera, Oratorio, and Musical Theatre.  Her credits in Musical Theatre include Kim MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie, Cosette in Les Miserables, Lake Girl in Spamalot, and the Nightingale of Samarkand in Once Upon A Mattress. Her recent credits in Opera and Oratorio include Despina in Cosi Fan Tutte, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Bianca in the Italian world premier of La Bisbetica, and a Featured Soloist in both Faure’s Requiem and Carmina Burana.  Elisabeth believes in helping each student achieve their own unique sound through a healthy and reliable technique. Meet Jacob – Jacob Keith Watson is an Actor/Singer/Musician/Teacher, Arkansas native, avid Notre Dame football fan, pretend woodworker, coffee enthusiast and BBQ elitist. Some of Jacob’s favorite Broadway credits include the Tony-nominated/winning revivals of Carousel as Mister Enoch Snow and Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler, as well as the Broadway productions of Violet, The Phantom of the Opera, Amelie, the Encores! revival of 1776 and the National/International tour of Chicago the Musical as Mister Cellophane himself, Amos Hart. Regional credits include Shrek in Shrek the Musical , Waldo in the East Coast Premiere of Benny & Joon, Emilio Paz in Six Characters in Search of an Author, Corin in As You Like It (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre),  Feste in Twelfth Night, Othello (Iago U/S-Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre) and Naphtali/Calypso in Joseph… (Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre), among many others. Concerts include a 3 city tour in Germany of New York, New York featured at the Kurt Weill Festival and Kurt Weill on Broadway (Symphony Space). Jacob is also a past prize winner of the prestigious Lotte Lenya Competition, the inaugural winner of the NATS National Music Theatre Competition and a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. COLLEGE CONVERSATIONS WITH BRIDGET DAVIS Let’s talk college auditions! During Bridget’s time at OCU, she took a large role in running and facilitating National Auditions for their programs. This masterclass is geared towards high school students who want to pursue musical theatre in college. We’ll discuss types of programs, materials, process, success tips, what to wear, and more! Students performing will prepare a standard college audition package (2 one-minute long cuts – 1 pre-1970 song, 1 contemporary/song of choice, and 1 one-minute long monologue) and be provided with feedback. Meet Bridget – Bridget Davis is a Little Rock native, who received her Bachelor of Music in Music Theatre from Oklahoma City University. Shortly after graduation, she lived in NYC, then joined the National Tour of A Charlie Brown Christmas as Sally Brown. Favorite Regional Credits include: Sophie (Mamma Mia), Sister Mary Robert (Sister Act), Sandy (Grease). Bridget currently lives in Little Rock with her Australian Shepherd, Ava. Bridget teaches Musical Theatre to young artists, works as a Pure Barre Instructor, and is an active performer in the community. LEVEL UP YOUR AUDITION WITH CHAD BURRIS Chad will talk through choosing audition material to help you show off your best self! In addition to reviewing headshots and resumes, he will talk through how to build your repertoire book and will coach a few performers on their audition songs or monologues. Meet Chad – Chad Burris is an Arkansas native who now resides in New York City, was as an actor and writer in New York City. He currently is playing Damian Hubbard in Mean Girls on Broadway. Earlier in the year, he made his Broadway debut as Olaf in Frozen.  Other credits include: Original Cast, Almost Famous at The Old Globe; The Muny; Cleveland Playhouse; Cape Playhouse; and Arkansas Repertory Theatre. He is also an accomplished writer and producer, having created the critically acclaimed web series, “City Boyz.”

As the world of musical theatre is ever evolving, and multiple shows are asking for people to prepare pop and rock songs for auditions, it is important that all students have at least one pop and rock song in their repertoire. Sam will share her immense knowledge of singing in this contemporary style and choosing appropriate repertoire.

Meet Sam – Samantha is an NYC based performer and teaching artist. Since graduating in 2010 from Ouachita Baptist University with a Bachelor’s in Musical Theatre, Samantha went on the road for two and a half years with the National Tours of: The Frog Prince and The Little Mermaid (Missoula Children’s Theatre), and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Dallas Children’s Theatre) She eventually settled in Astoria, Queens. In New York, you can find her performing cabaret, new musical theatre work, and writing/producing her own shows at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theatre, Greenroom 42, 54 Below, The West End, The Metropolitan Room, City Winery, and The Duplex. Samantha often works with composers on readings of new works such as Jacobs and Jackson’s Teeth, Carner and Gregor’s Toast, Flashpriest and Cupid, Hansol Jung and Paul Castle’s Wild Goose Dreams, and Gregor and Sahin’s He Said/She Said. Last summer, Samantha worked at the O’Neill Theatre Center where she workshopped Teeth for the National Musical Theatre Conference with Artistic Director Alexander Gemignani.  She wrote and directed her musical, Finsta, which premiered at Alchemical Theatre in April. Samantha is passionate about arts education. She runs two free musical theatre programs for participants who lack access to the arts in public education. Partnering with the Schubert Foundation, she also works with Musical Theatre International and Broadway Jr. to equip NYC public schools to produce a Broadway Jr. musical, and foster a culture of musical theatre. Each semester, Samantha will produce and/or musical direct seven musicals throughout all five boroughs of New York City. Regional: Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Fiddler on the Roof, and Smoke on the Mountain.