A great way for groups to get the most out of a Broadway experience is to attend a Broadway Classroom.
A subsidiary of Broadway.com/Groups, Broadway Classroom is a series of nearly 20 interactive workshops that provide fun and informative behind-the-scenes looks at Broadway from the experiences of the performers onstage to the work that goes on backstage.
“Any kind of group can come in and do a classroom,” said Broadway Classroom director Vickie Plummer. “It is for ages 5 to 85. Each one is different. We can customize around a group’s schedule, goals or the show they are seeing.”
Some of the most popular classrooms for students are Broadway 101, which looks at the training process of a Broadway actor; Step by Step, which looks at the many different Broadway dance styles and is taught by a performer from the show the group is going to see; and Making Music, which teaches techniques for combining music and drama.
Adult groups like Up Close and Personal, in which they get to talk with a performer they will see later on stage.
The classrooms, most of which are 90 minutes long, are held in various rehearsal halls.
“My favorite groups are those who come in really shy, not knowing what they are expecting from the class,” said Heather Jones, the other Broadway Classroom director. “The instructor comes in and wins them over in five minutes and gets them up singing and dancing. You can see them blossom in 20 minutes.”
“It is very gratifying to see the change in demeanor, energy and change in their faces after just a 90-minute class,” said instructor Michael Mastro. “If they do this before they see a show, it enhances the experience of seeing the show tenfold.”
