Broadway’s Original Annie and Philly Native ANDREA MCARDLE Leads Roster of Celebrity Teaching Artists

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Philly’s Broadway dreams will come true for the third consecutive summer when The Broadway Dreams Foundation (BDF) partners with the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts to present their Summer Performing Arts Intensive August 1 through Sunday, August 7, 2011. Acclaimed theatrical director and producer Richard Jay Alexander and a roster of Broadway veterans will work with aspiring young performers from the Philadelphia area throughout the week in preparation for “True Colors,” a one of a kind Broadway concert open to the public. The one night only concert event will take place at the Merriam Theater on Saturday, August 6th at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $71 - $18 and are available online at www.kimmelcenter.org, by calling 215-893-1999 or visiting the Kimmel Center Box Office (260 Broad Street).

Philadelphia native Andrea McArdle made her Broadway debut in the original 1977 production of Annie for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Other notable Broadway credits include Les Miserables, Starlight Express, Beauty and the Beast and State Fair. McArdle, along with BDF Philadelphia students, will perform selections from Annie including “Tomorrow,” “Maybe,” “Hard Knock Life” and “Little Girls”. McArdle will lead a faculty roster of Broadway favorites including Tony Award winner Jarrod Emick (Damn Yankees, Leap of Faith), Eden Espinosa (Wicked), Titus Burgess (Jersey Boys) and Tyler Hanes (A Chorus Line), James Kinney (Sweet Charity), Quentin Earl Darrington (Ragtime), BDF Artistic Director Paul Canaan (Legally Blonde) and BDF Co-Founder & celebrity vocal coach Dave Barrus. The entire Broadway faculty will perform in “True Colors” alongside Philadelphia’s performing youth.

Richard Jay-Alexander’s credits include directing the recent star-studded Hollywood Bowl concert production of Guys and Dolls, Barbra Streisand’s most recent concert tour and concert productions for Bette Midler, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Bernadette Peters, Russell Watson and Donna McKechnie. He also served as the Executive Producer for the original Broadway, touring and Canadian companies of Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon and Five Guys Named Moe. He is currently in Las Vegas working with Donny and Marie for their new show at the Flamingo.

Attendees of the week-long BDF Summer Performing Arts Intensive will receive first- rate training in acting, dance and vocal performance daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. by savvy Broadway veterans who will share their invaluable insider knowledge on the skills needed to make it in show business. Students will also learn how to improve their audition skills and have the opportunity to audition for top NYC casting directors Craig Burns and Rachel Hoffman from Telsey + Company who will offer constructive feedback. At week’s end, all participants will have the opportunity to perform alongside their Broadway idols in a “one night only” concert event open to the public. Agents from NYC and the Philadelphia area will attend the final performance. The Philadelphia engagement will feature students from 11 different states and Ireland ranging in age from 7 years to 63 years.

Over three thousand students have participated in the BDF program in cities such as Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, San Diego and Omaha. Students have gone on to perform in regional, national and Broadway productions including Disney’s The Lion King, Spring Awakening and Bring it On. Other students have pursued careers in the arts or attend prestigious theatre programs in universities throughout the United States.

The Broadway Dreams Foundation offers significant scholarships to hundreds of students each year, ensuring that all qualified students are able to realize their Broadway Dreams regardless of their financial status. For more information on The Broadway Dreams Foundation, please visit www.mybroadwaydreams.com.