My Latest Episode of STAGES: Senior Year Episode 2

The Senior Year Season of "STAGES" is here!

Premiering 3 years ago (when the Class of 2013 were just Freshmen), STAGES has documented the stories of the acclaimed Music Theatre program at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio (Just outside Cleveland) headed by Program Director Victoria Bussert.  BWU music theatre students are some of the most talented and elite performers in the country, many of whom go on to perform in Broadway productions.


In this episode, auditions and call-backs for the Fall musical "Follies" are heating up with more vocal auditions and an intense dance call.  Finally the casting results are posted at midnight  - a BW tradition that can be nerve-wracking and exciting all at the same time.

My new Promo Video for B-W's 2012 Music Theatre Showcase!

Check out this promo piece I put together for the Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre Class of 2012 Showcase! If you get a chance check out these amazing performers on their way to Broadway! April 9th at B-W! April 16th & 17th in New York!

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theatre Program #25

In this episode the Titanic sails! Also tune into see some fascinating and unique auditions for Spring Awakening and Lizzie Borden that rock the B-W campus.

New STAGES Episode! #24

In this episode, the cast of the Fallmusical "Titanic" meets the amazing 25-piece orchestra for the first time. Led by Class of 2012 Senior Ryan Garrett, the Orchestra soars through its first run-thru of the group numbers. Then get a look at "First Takes", the Junior Class of 2013 showcase of new songs from the National Alliance for Music Theatre (N.A.M.T.).

Check out My Latest Episode of "STAGES"! Year 3!

Season 3 begins by letting viewers sit in on student auditions for the Fall musical "Titanic" with insight from a couple experienced students. Director Scott Plate uses some auditions as valuable teaching moments for young performers. Then Scott takes us on a tour of the brand new conservatory building, but not before he and Program Director Vicky Bussert look at some of the funny inconveniences the music theatre department endured in their temporary home waiting for construction to be complete.

STAGES #22: Passing Strange at Baldwin-Wallace

As we approach the 3rd season of "STAGES" with the new school year - here's a look back at the regional premiere of this amazing show! Stew drops in on rehearsal!

This episode takes a look behind the scenes of the regional premiere of "Passing Strange" produced by Baldwin-Wallace College and Playhouse Square.

Produced by Geoff Short (www.geoffreyshort.com)

My Latest STAGES Episode! The Showcase Episode!

When one door closes, another one opens...In this episode, STAGES looks at the end of college life for another class of B-W Music Theatre students as they prepare for the all-important showcase n New York City and take further steps on the way to Broadway.

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theatre Program - Pt. 20

In this episode, STAGES goes behind the scenes of the process of producing the musical RENT. For the first time anywhere, Director Vicky Bussert and the B-W music theatre department produced both RENT and the opera it's based on - La Boheme - in repertory. Be a part of the action from the first read-thru all the way to opening night! Thoughts from Costume Designer Charlotte Yetman, unexpected flash mobs and more! It's all in this episode of STAGES!

Produced by Geoff Short
www.geoffreyshort.com

The Newest Episode of "STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theatre Program"

Episode 19: A look at auditions for "Rent" and the learning opportunities that can happen for Music Theatre students, both in the audition room and in the classroom.

Live Theatre...In Your Living Room!

If they won't come to the theatre, bring the theatre to them!

I've always thought that finding creative ways of merging live theatre and video can be a cool way to raise awareness of plays and musicals. Check out one of my previous posts Why Video Should Be Center Stage in Theatre Marketing. Obviously there are a lot of people smarter than me who think so, otherwise we would never have seen motion picture versions of musicals. And speaking of movie musicals, isn't it ironic that some people will pay good money to go to a movie theatre to see a film version of a play or musical while seats remain empty at local productions often producing the same works? But I digress...

In the never-ending quest for theatres to maintain and build audiences, I've been experimenting with the concept of streaming video of live performances over the internet. I was really excited recently when I was successfully able to test out an internet broadcast using UStream, a free online service . The show was the Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre's senior class production of "Edges", a contemporary song cycle.

It was fairly easy to set up a show page for "STAGES", the video series I produce for the BW Music Theatre Program and I figured out how to add cool on-screen graphic elements like logos and links throughout the program. So with a single video camera,my computer and an audio mixer, we were on the air! We had a few glitches...the internet signal wasn't great in the theatre and the program crashed once....but after restarting some things, everything worked pretty weel for the rest of the show. UStream even lets you record your program as you broadcast so you can replay it later or embed the video in other sites:



Obviously the biggest challenge with broadcasting theatre are the licensing issues that prohibit the videotaping or broadcasting of most theatre works. "Edges" was the perfect project for this experiment because it wasn't a scripted piece, but a very interactive, in-concert presentation of songs by composers known to the Director. Audience members were encouraged to text and tweet the cast during the show to tell the cast what they would like them to do. I even texted one cast member to come up and say hello to the camera at some point during the show and sure enough, he did!

But the point is, we're on to something...this particular night was about erasing traditional boundaries of producing theater.....the house lights remained up so the cast could see the audience who were communicating with them in real time. We were texting, tweeting, broadcasting live on the internet and - oh, yeah - singing the living shit out of some wonderful new music!

But for me the coolest part of the experiment was hearing from relatives of the students on stage from all around the country who now had the chance to share in the experience and were communicating with the cast in real time right on stage. Really an incredible experience. Especially the cast member's brother in the military, stationed out of town who got to see his brother on stage.

That's what it's all about.

Cleveland Plain Dealer Covers New Season of "STAGES"!

Click the link below to check out this cool piece from Cleveland Plain Dealer Theatre Reporter Tony Brown about the start of the new Season of "STAGES" and our "It Gets Better" Special Episode! Thanks Tony!


Baldwin-Wallace music-theater program director
Victoria Bussert works with students in 2008.
(Photo by Scott Shaw, The Plain Dealer)

Baldwin-Wallace College musical theater program is back, and so is video documentary 'Stages'

STAGES: 2010-2011 Season Premier! (Episode 18)

SEASON PREMIER! STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theatre Program

The 2010-2011 school year begins! Meet the new freshman class and some new faces on the teaching team too as students begin preparations for auditions for BW's Fall productions of "Rent" and "La Boheme"!




This documentary series follows the stories of the students and teachers of the acclaimed Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre Program led by Victoria Bussert. Produced by theater artist and documentarian Geoffrey Short (www.geoffreyshort.com), STAGES gives viewers unprecedented access to this exclusive program that draws the very best talent from around the country to this small private college in Berea, Ohio (just southwest of Cleveland). Graduates of this program often go on to careers on Broadway. Learn more about Baldwin-Wallace College at www.bw.edu. See other theater video documentary series from Geoff Short at www.youtube.com/CallBackCleveland.

New STAGES Episode! Season Finale!!

THE SEASON FINALE....All preparations are over and it's showtime for the Class of 2010 Showcase in New York City. Go behind the scenes and see how things turn out for this amazing class of new Broadway stars. Includes insight from BW alumni currently starring in Broadway smash hits like, "Hair", "A Little Night Music" and Best Musical Tony Winner "Memphis"!

To see individual performance videos from the 2010 Showcase, check out the previous video blog entries below or visit:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...

This documentary series follows the stories of the students and teachers of the acclaimed Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre Program led by Victoria Bussert. Produced by theater artist and documentarian Geoffrey Short (www.geoffreyshort.com), STAGES gives viewers unprecedented access to this exclusive program that draws the very best talent from around the country to this small private college in Berea, Ohio (just southwest of Cleveland). Graduates of this program often go on to careers on Broadway. Learn more about Baldwin-Wallace College at www.bw.edu. See other theater video documentary series from Geoff Short at www.youtube.com/CallBackCleveland.

NEW EPISODE! STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 16

STAGES Part 16: The Road to Broadway....this episode looks at preparations for the class of 2010 Showcase for casting agents in New York City. Go with the class to the Big Apple and see how Broadway stars are made!

NEW "STAGES" EPISODE - PT.13: Broadway Star Comes Back Home!

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 13: Broadway star and Baldwin-Wallace Music Theater Graduate Steel Burkhardt (currently starring in "HAIR" on Broadway) comes back to campus for a visit with current MT students.

Produced by Geoff Short (www.geoffreyshort.com)

NEW "STAGES" EPISODE - PT.12: Call-Backs for "CHESS"!

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 12: A look at the Call-Backs for the Spring musical "Chess", including observations about the show from Conservatory Director Peter Landgren.

NEW STAGES EPISODE!!!

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 11: "Breaking the Fourth Wall: Performing Off-Campus". In this episode, go on the road with BW music theater students as they perform at venues outside of Baldwin-Wallace, including a benefit for a local community theater and a play Directed by Asst. Professor & Dept.Chair Scott Plate.

STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program - Pt. 10 "Making a Buck"

Check out this week's new episode of STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program Pt. 10... "Making a Buck" ...Baldwin-Wallace Music Theater students have lives offstage too. This look at a not-so-typical day and working night of one of those students shows that students work just as hard outside the theater.

CHECK OUT LATEST EPISODE OF "STAGES"!

Episode 9 of STAGES: Stories from the BW Music Theater Program is a look at the Senior Class workshop production of the new musical "See Rock City" by Adam Mathias and Brad Alexander. Each Fall the Senior Class presents full staging of a new work in workshop form. This year's project "See Rock City" was a National Alliance for Music Theater (N.A.M.T.) winner. BW is a member of N.A.M.T. and "See Rock City" examines different relationships using the themes of traveling to various vacation destinations.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE "STAGES" EPISODES!

Check Out "STAGES" Part 8!

Enjoy Pt. 8 - A behind the scenes look at the Junior Class Songwriter's Showcase of new music called "First Takes" both at Baldwin-Wallace and as the class takes the show on the road to Night Town in Cleveland Heights.

This documentary series follows the stories of the students and teachers of the acclaimed Baldwin-Wallace College Music Theatre Program led by Victoria Bussert. Produced by theater artist and documentarian Geoffrey Short, STAGES gives viewers unprecedented access to this exclusive program that draws the very best talent from around the country to this small private college in Berea, Ohio (just southwest of Cleveland). Graduates of this program often go on to careers on Broadway. Learn more about Baldwin-Wallace College at www.bw.edu. See other theater video documentary series from Geoff Short at www.youtube.com/CallBackCleveland.