May 2020
The relationship between director and actor is built on trust. Learn what it takes to cast the right actor and get them to reveal their true spirit on camera. Meghan Rafferty is one of the top casting directors in NYC who, over the past 17 years has worked with some of the most respected directors, writers and producers in the television and film industry – Martin Scorsese, Jim Jarmusch, Woody Allen, and Damon Lindelof to name a few. Her past casting credits: American-ish, Paterson, season one of the HBO series The Leftovers, Falling Water, and the Cannes GoldenLion winner Lily vs Margo. In her Master Class, Meghan give students the right techniques to build character connections, trust with directors, and shares her industry insider best practices for nailing you audition.
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Our hit Songwriting Circle goes virtual with veteran East End singer-songwriter Fred Raimondo! Join from the comfort of your home to watch or participate in our casual singer/songwriter class. All skill levels welcome!
All of our non-film virtual programming is free but we strongly encourage people to make a donation to sustain us during these critical times.
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Now is your chance to share your gift of live performance with others! Whether it’s a pop standard, poetry reading, or you simply want to enjoy virtual interaction, join us for our adults-only Emerging Voices night on May 28th, hosted by WHBPAC Arts Academy Director, Kristen Poulakis.
Find Out MoreJune 2020
Chris Citera & Alexa Green
Want to work on your belt or mix? What about riffing? Work with some of NYC’s most sought-after voice teachers on improving your vocal technique for musical theater and pop/rock singing! Alexa Green (Wicked) and Chris Citera are both actors, singers, and ivy-league educated voice technicians, whose students have appeared on and off-Broadway, in national tours and regional productions, and include professional singer-songwriters and recording artists.
Find Out MoreJuly 2020
Ages 9-18, with parent/guardian July 16 10am-12pm Ever think your super dramatic, talented, spunky child has what it takes to go pro? Meet with Malissa Young of Malissa Young Management and Bi-Coastal Management for a very personal look at what it takes to get into “the business.” Malissa will spend time with parents and their…
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Tween Musical Theatre
This special week-long camp is designed specifically for the tween actor by the WHBPAC Artistic Staff. Students will learn new skills, expand their imaginations and hone their craft as an actor, and writer while rehearsing and performing an original musical written by them!
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In this week- long dance intensive we will help you develop your jazz and tap technique as well as learn famous original Broadway choreography. Taught by Anita Boyer and Kasia Klimuik. This week of camp is sure to help you hone your dancing skills for those future shows!
Find Out MoreAugust 2020
Tween Theatre
This special week-long camp is designed specifically for the tween actor by the WHBPAC Artistic Staff. Students will learn new skills, expand their imaginations and hone their craft as an actor, while rehearsing and performing an original play written just for them!
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Ages 12-18 August 5 and August 12 2:30pm-4:30pm How do you book and act in commercials? Actress and casting director Meghan Rafferty will help you from “audition” to “cut!” This fun class is designed specifically to help you develop your skills for auditioning and being to be professionally ready to act in commercials. Tuition: $225…
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Tween Musical Theatre
This special week-long camp is designed specifically for the tween actor by the WHBPAC Artistic Staff. Students will learn new skills, expand their imaginations and hone their craft as an actor, and writer while rehearsing and performing an original musical written by them!
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Ages 12-18 August 19, August 26, and September 2 2:30pm-5:30pm Ever wonder how the actors of the great sitcoms like Friends, Victorious, and Saved By the Bell learned how to act for a multi-camera sitcom? Meghan Rafferty, actress and casting director, will be teaching a three week course on how to act for sitcoms! Using…
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Tween Theatre
This special week-long camp is designed specifically for the tween actor by the WHBPAC Artistic Staff. Students will learn new skills, expand their imaginations and hone their craft as an actor, while rehearsing and performing an original play written just for them!
Find Out More
Going on auditions but not hearing back? Want to perfect your camera-ready presence? Need to fine-tune your skills?
There is usually no chance for feedback – until now. This is a rare opportunity to get “face to face” with leading NYC casting director Meghan Rafferty in this exclusive Masterclass. Meghan’s prestigious casting expertise can be seen in The Wolf of Wall Street, Shutter Island, and HBO’s The Leftovers and Boardwalk Empire. Meghan also acted in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman. Meghan gives participants the right techniques to build character connections, trust with directors, and shares her industry insider best practices for nailing your audition.
Find Out MoreNovember 2020
Join us for a live-streamed concert, November 14th at 6:00 for WHBPAC’s first ever Arts Academy Music Festival. We will feature performances by our fall classes, UpBeat, Rockband 101, Emerging Voices, Singer Songwriting Circle and our SING! students. With music being performed from all generations, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
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C'mon, get TAPPY!
Join Kristen Poulakis for drinks, great music and TAP! This 6 week class will focus on basic tap technique and FUN! Get out, move your body, tap your feet and have a cocktail.
Find Out MoreDecember 2020
Hypnotic… Timeless… Festive… Fun… It’s the season’s most entertaining & unique holiday offering. What’s the fun twist?! All characters in this production are performed by ONE PERSON – from Scrooge to Tiny Tim! Audiences will be mesmerized by this imaginative and magical re-telling of the powerful Charles Dickens holiday classic filled with hope and compassion.
Find Out MoreJanuary 2021
Book and Lyrics by Douglas Jones
Music by Ron Barnett
This stirring drama with music is a classic tribute to the great American who freed herself and hundreds of others from the bonds of slavery. Her courage helped to change the world. Share her adventurous life with your students in this accurate and deeply moving musical history lesson.
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Streaming on Broadway On Demand
Margery Williams’ award-winning classic tale of a stuffed toy rabbit made real by a child’s enduring love is retold in a modern and delightfully electric holiday musical. In an era of virtual reality and Minecraft, this musical captures the joy and magic of the book you know and love, with a 16-bit digital twist. This happy, hoppy, holiday show will get the entire family into the spirit of the season.
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High School
Winner of three Tony Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards and two Obie Awards, Urinetown is a hilarious musical satire of the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics and musical theatre itself! Hilariously funny and touchingly honest, Urinetown provides a fresh perspective on one of America’s greatest art forms.
In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity’s most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides that he’s had enough and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom!
Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, Urinetown is an irreverently humorous satire in which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the very notion of what a musical could be, Urinetown catapults the “comedic romp” into the new millennium with its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter.
Find Out MoreFebruary 2021
Elementary School
Once upon a time, in a far away swamp, there lived an ogre named Shrek. One day, Shrek finds his swamp invaded by a band of banished fairytale misfits who have been cast off by Lord Farquaad, a tiny terror with big ambitions. When Shrek sets off with a wisecracking Donkey to confront Farquaad, he’s handed a task — if he rescues feisty Princess Fiona, his swamp will be righted. It’s a “big bright beautiful world” as Shrek rescues the princess, vanquishes Farquaad and finds true acceptance but a fairytale wouldn’t be complete without a few twists and turns along the way.
Find Out MoreMiddle School
Once upon a time, in a far away swamp, there lived an ogre named Shrek. One day, Shrek finds his swamp invaded by a band of banished fairytale misfits who have been cast off by Lord Farquaad, a tiny terror with big ambitions. When Shrek sets off with a wisecracking Donkey to confront Farquaad, he’s handed a task — if he rescues feisty Princess Fiona, his swamp will be righted. It’s a “big bright beautiful world” as Shrek rescues the princess, vanquishes Farquaad and finds true acceptance but a fairytale wouldn’t be complete without a few twists and turns along the way.
Find Out MoreMarch 2021
Streaming on Broadway On Demand
The classic fairy tale of “Rapunzel” comes to life in an exciting world-premiere musical adaptation adventure featuring everyone’s favorite long-locked lady in a tower. But don’t forget the array of other characters braided in this hairy fairy tale, comically played by onlytwo actors! Yes, your read that correctly. ONLY TWO ACTORS! This fresh new adaptation will make your audiences throw their heads of hair back in laughter and delight as two incredibly talented and versatile actors untangle this hairy fairy tale like you’ve never seen it before!
Find Out MoreApril 2021
If music be the food of love, play on! And play on, we have. In spite of global hardship, the newly formed WHBPAC music programs soared this winter and have come back in action. Music blossomed in our halls and we begin Spring with our second Arts Academy Music Festival. This performance is a culmination of the hard work over the past six weeks by our UpBeat, Rockband 101, Jazz Band 101, and private singing students.
Find Out MoreMay 2021
The delicious adventures of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory light up the stage in this captivating adaptation of Roald Dahl’s fantastical tale. Featuring the enchanting songs from the 1971 film, in addition to a host of fun new songs, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR. is a scrumdidilyumptious musical guaranteed to delight everyone’s sweet tooth. Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR. follows enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka’s rules in the factory — or suffer the consequences.
Find Out MoreThe delicious adventures of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory light up the stage in this captivating adaptation of Roald Dahl’s fantastical tale. Featuring the enchanting songs from the 1971 film, in addition to a host of fun new songs, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR. is a scrumdidilyumptious musical guaranteed to delight everyone’s sweet tooth. Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR. follows enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka’s rules in the factory — or suffer the consequences.
Find Out MoreJune 2021
James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless – yet relevant – piece… and a rare modern classic. The Tony Award-winning book and score are both enchanting and touching.
The story follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King’s Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.
Find Out MoreJuly 2021
Whether you enroll in our musical theatre camps such as Emperor’s New Clothes, our tween camps like Twisted Fairytales or Seashore Shenanigans, or our Broadway Bound Dance Camp, your week here at WHBPAC will be filled with fun, world class instruction, creativity and a great opportunity to shine on our stage.
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Performed by the children of the Arts Academy
“Dress for success” is good advice that the Emperor takes whole-heartedly, wanting to impress new friends. But where to stop? When the clothes (and other people’s opinions) become more important than the people of the kingdom, trouble brews. To help their beloved Emperor find the way back to his heart, his true friends create an elaborate “birthday suit” for the Emperor to wear for his birthday parade celebration. The Emperor quickly and humbly learns that sometimes “less is more”!
This show is a culmination of the hard work put in from our week long camp in partnership with Missoula Children’s Theatre. Join us for a show that is bound to knock your socks off! Fun for all ages.
Find Out MoreAugust 2021
Performed by the children of the Arts Academy
They say an apple never falls far from the tree, and we have Johnny and his good pals, the Apple Seeds, to thank for an ample abundance of apple trees! Johnny and his little buddies traveled across the land on foot, made friends with all kinds of people and animals, and slept under the twinkling stars. Their delicious, heartwarming adventures yielded orchards full of juicy, delectable fruit that took a crunchy bite out of hungry tummies across the west. Even a grumbly wolf is won over by the sweet taste of the apples and the kindness of friends. The tale of JOHNNY APPLESEED is a tasty reminder that kindness is at the core of friendship.
This show is a culmination of the hard work put in from our week long camp in partnership with Missoula Children’s Theatre. Join us for a show that is bound to knock your socks off! Fun for all ages.
Find Out MoreOctober 2021
Due to Friday’s forecast, we will be moving the Haunted Silent Disco indoors!
On top of the professional DJ already planned, there will be professional lighting – a perk of partying on the stage. However, because of the change, all attendees and staff will be required to wear a mask when not actively eating or drinking.
Party the night away with our first ever silent disco! Get your boo crew together, put on the supplied headphones, and bewitch your friends with your dance skills as you switch between two different channels of music curated by an undead DJ.
Give everyone pumpkin to talk about and dress your best – the winner of Best Costume will receive a free one hour private voice lesson with Kristen Poulakis!
Bone appetit! We’ll be serving up refreshments all night long.
Find Out MoreNovember 2021
So much science, so little time. . . Doktor Kaboom is having trouble picking his favorite science demonstrations, so he’s bringing them all! Unfortunately there are way too many to do them all in one show. The solution: The Wheel of Science! Doktor Kaboom has built a great big spinning wheel and labeled it with everything from optical illusions to chemical reactions to a homemade hovercraft, and more! At least a dozen fantastic demonstrations ready to go. Wherever the wheel stops, that’s what’s next! Will we turn a water bottle into a rocket or catapult bananas across the stage? Electrocute a pickle or create artificial gravity? Who knows? No two shows will be the same. So, step right up, and let’s spin that wheel!
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National Players – Washington D.C.
The members of the Younger family dream bigger than the small house where they live on the south side of Chicago in the 1950s. When their deceased father’s insurance money comes through, those dreams might actually become reality. Walter Lee wants to run his own business and earn financial independence, but his sister Beneatha dreams of attending medical school. Meanwhile, their mother Lena wants to move them all to a bigger home in a white neighborhood. What will finally allow the Youngers to move up in the world, and who will have their dreams deferred? Don’t miss this award-winning drama with a universal story about an African-American family dealing with prejudice, history, and a world where everything changes.
Find Out MoreNational Players – Washington D.C.
The members of the Younger family dream bigger than the small house where they live on the south side of Chicago in the 1950s. When their deceased father’s insurance money comes through, those dreams might actually become reality. Walter Lee wants to run his own business and earn financial independence, but his sister Beneatha dreams of attending medical school. Meanwhile, their mother Lena wants to move them all to a bigger home in a white neighborhood. What will finally allow the Youngers to move up in the world, and who will have their dreams deferred? Don’t miss this award-winning drama with a universal story about an African-American family dealing with prejudice, history, and a world where everything changes.
Find Out MoreMarch 2022
Virginia Repertory Theatre
This compelling dramatization of the life and times of one of the most influential and charismatic leaders of the “American Century” and the Civil Rights movement will inspire your students as they experience this great leader’s struggle and his dream of lifting “our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.” The play traces Dr. King’s life from his humble beginnings in Atlanta, Georgia through his extraordinary evolution into one of the 20th century’s foremost figures.
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Lightwire Theatre – Louisiana
We begin with Aesop’s classic fable of the The Tortoise and the Hare but continue the story which finds them 10 years down the road, now with children of their own and exploring modern day distractions. Smart phones and video games create a new landscape of lost connections to life experiences. The Next Gen features Tortoise Junior and Lil’ Hare in a whole new kind of race; where their adventures lead them into unexpected territory. Old man Tortoise and Big Daddy Hare must come together despite their differences to find and save their children. What hurdles will they have to overcome to make it to the finish line?
With dazzling visuals, poignant storytelling and the creative use of music from classical to pop, this production brings this tale into a new brilliant light.
Find Out MoreApril 2022
Griffin Theatre Company – Chicago
Based on the book by Andrew Clements. Nicholas Allen has plenty of ideas. When he ends up in Mrs. Granger’s language arts class, he has his best idea ever. He decides to create his own word…FRINDLE! Before long Nick’s word creates a buzz in his school, his town and then to his surprise it spreads all around the country, and a power struggle erupts with the strict Mrs. Granger. Will the word “Frindle” win? Based on the multiple award winning best-selling novel by Andrew Clements this quirky, imaginative tale about creative thought and the power of words will have your young audience inventing their own words.
Find Out MoreMay 2022
Cahoots NI, Belfast Ireland
Suni and Mae are dreamers. As young girls, they dreamt about journeying far beyond our solar system, singing among the stars and discovering all that was unknown to them: the secrets of space.
Using magical illusions and a state-of-the-art digital LED wall, the sisters and the audience embark on an interactive journey across the galaxy. The wonders of outer space are explored with dazzling imagery and key ideas and inventions in science, technology, and engineering.
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Teen Theatre Performance
It is a spring afternoon at the Dowd family home, and a tea for the high-society ladies of the Wednesday Forum is in full swing. The hostess, Veta Louise Simmons, is hoping that the event will allow her daughter, Myrtle Mae, now in her twenties and still unmarried, to mingle with the mothers and grandmothers of some of the town’s remaining eligible bachelors. However, to Veta’s horror, her brother, Elwood P. Dowd, arrives home unexpectedly and in the company of his closest friend, HARVEY the pooka (spirit creature of celctic folklore), a six foot one-and-a-half inch tall white rabbit—a friend nobody else can see…
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Theatre Works USA
Charlotte’s Web is based on E.B. White’s loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte. Wilbur has a problem: how to avoid winding up as pork chops! Charlotte, a fine writer and true friend, hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman. She will create a “miracle.” Spinning the words “Some Pig” in her web, Charlotte weaves a solution which not only makes Wilbur a prize pig but also ensures his place on the farm forever.
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Elementary & Middle School Performances
Legendary Musical Theatre Composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber has created musicals that have soared to fame since his very first musical on Broadway, Joseph and the Amazing Color Dream Coat in 1967. Since then, he has written over 21 musicals with many that continue to wow Broadway’s stages today. Join WHBPAC Arts Academy students in a concert celebrating the best of the best of Broadway.
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