Wharton Center offers interactive musical theater workshops taught by Broadway stars

EAST LANSING - Take It From The Top, a series of interactive workshops offered through the MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts and Creativity at Wharton Center, gives participants - both teens and adults - an opportunity to experience what it is like to be on Broadway. The workshops are taught by working Broadway professionals from New York City, including Tony-nominee Laura Bell Bundy, former star of Legally Blonde: The Musical, fellow cast member and Broadway star Paul Canaan, and others.

"I developed Take It From The Top with Paul after meeting so many kids through my work in Legally Blonde," says Bundy. "I saw a need to reach out to these aspiring performers and give them a leg up."

Canaan continues, "I've always been passionate about musical theater. Teaching is an opportunity for me to give back and have a blast doing it."

Participants learn the craft of musical theater, with basic to advanced skills, industry history and practical content in an exciting, fast-moving, interactive setting. Take It From The Top offers participants a chance to experience Broadway with the pros in a creative and fun environment. If you ever wanted to be on a Broadway stage, now is the chance to perform and pick the brains of the people who are doing it!

In addition to her Tony-nominated work as the pink-clad Elle Woods in the musical adaptation of Legally Blonde, Bundy's Broadway credits include Hairspray, Wicked Grease! and The Sound of Music. On screen, Bundy has been seen in Dreamgirls, Guiding Light, Home Improvement and Strangers with Candy.

Canaan's credits include Legally Blonde, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, La Cage Aux Follies, Miss Saigon and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Canaan also serves along side casting director Bernie Telsey and screen writer Heather Hach as a judge on the hit MTV reality show Legally Blonde the Musical: Searching For Elle Woods.

The schedule is as follows:

• DANCER'S WORKSHOP
  Teen and adult dancers
  Wednesday Jan. 14, 2009, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: $85

  The workshop will feature an exploration of Broadway dance styles and current trends in musical theater dance, along with insights from the Take It From The Top team into how to navigate a dance audition for a Broadway musical. There will be ample time for questions and discussion throughout the workshop.

• TEENS – MUSIC / DANCE / THEATRE (MDT) WORKSHOPS
  Grades 9 through 12
  Three-Day Workshop: $175
  Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
  Friday, Jan. 16, 2009, 6 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
  Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009, Noon to 5 p.m.

  During this three-day workshop, participants will explore dancing, singing and acting with an eye towards a recital on Saturday night.

• ADULTS – MUSIC / DANCE / THEATRE (MDT) WORKSHOP
  Ages 18 or older
  Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: $85

  An ideal opportunity for adults of all skill levels to discover their inner performer with an evening of dancing, singing and acting exercises with the Take It From The Top team.

• MASTER CLASS
  Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009, 2:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

  Students from Everett High School's cast of Grease will have an opportunity to learn the craft of musical theater from the Broadway pros as they get up-close-and-personal with the Take It From The Top team.

• AUDITION WORKSHOP
  Friday, Jan. 16, 2009, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

  Select students from the MSU Department of Theatre and College of Music will have a unique opportunity to gain "real world" experience as they learn how to prepare for a musical theater audition.

• RECITAL
  Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009, 7 p.m.: Free admission
  Pasant Theatre, Wharton Center for Performing Arts, Michigan State University

  Participants from the Teen Music/Dance/Theater Workshop will have an opportunity to show off their newly honed skills live on stage.

All workshops are held at Wharton Center for Performing Arts. Space is limited; to register, log on to whartoncenter.com/takeitfromthetop or call 1-800-WHARTON.