|
|
Bringing home the Broadway Cup
Thanks to the musical theater talents of Shane (ABJ ’97) and Terra Hannon (AB ’97), the junior version of the Tonys now resides in the South.
|
They arrived at Walt Disney World for the national finals wearing T-shirts that read “Train like you’re going to Broadway, perform like you’re already there.” Ranging in age from grade school to college, these talented singers, dancers, and actors were intent on winning the Broadway Cup, a junior version of the Tonys that Oconee Youth School of Performance has been building toward since 1998 when husband and wife directors Shane and Terra Hannon decided to start their own performing arts studio.
 |
| The Hannons (holding Access Broadway trophy) celebrate with talented singers, dancers, and actors from Oconee Youth School of Performance in Watkinsville. Photo: Special |
“I thought it would be a great opportunity for students who are really serious about performing,” says Terra (AB ’97), a drama grad from Augusta who loves a challenge. “The first time we went to a national competition, we took just one act. This year, we took 53.” The obstacles were still considerable.
“We were up against 28 performing arts studios from New York to Las Vegas,” says Shane (ABJ ’97), a journalism grad from Athens who caught the theater bug when he played the title role in “Oliver!” as a 10-year-old. “And a number of our kids compete in the debut category, where point totals for finishing first, second, and third are about half what more experienced performers earn in the diva category.”
History was also against the youngsters from Watkinsville, which is located just outside Athens. The Broadway Cup had never been won by a studio in the South.
Access Broadway competition is particularly grueling at the national finals, with nearly 800 solo and group numbers being performed over a four-day weekend. All acts are judged by a panel of appreciative but demanding Broadway veterans, who have to be mightily impressed to give out platinum awards. When the competition ended on Sunday evening, Oconee Youth School of Performance had rung up 30 platinums—including a rousing, crowd-pleasing rendition of “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from “Hairspray” that rocked the house. But would it be enough to win the sterling silver Broadway Cup?
The honor of announcing the winning studio fell to Access Broadway president/CEO Ron DeVito, who got no further than “O . . . ” before being drowned out by an explosion of cheers from OYSP performers, parents, and staff. “It happened at Walt Disney World,” says Shane, “and it really was magical!”
For information on OYSP classes or Oconee Youth Playhouse shows, visit their Web site at www.oypoysp.com.
Top of Page
|
|
