Education Department
Programs and Services
Our Educational Mission:
To enrich individuals and communities within the Charlotte Region
through exposure to and involvement in the performing arts
Our Goals:
Provide engaging and enjoyable educational activities and programs
to a growing and increasingly diverse population
Encourage and enable more and better arts education experiences for
area schools and students
Help build and sustain audiences for Blumenthal-presented events
and for the performing arts in general
Photo by Nick Rend, Opening Number from the 2018 Blumey
Awards Ceremony.
School Shows
A school show is a weekday mini
-performance of a BPA
-presented show that typically
has evening and weekend performances for the
general public. With the continued reality of severe
cuts in school fine arts budgets, Blumenthal seeks
to help fill the “arts gap
” by providing these shows
for Charlotte region schools at minimal to no cost
for schools and students. (Charlotte
-Mecklenburg
schools may also use their Arts and Science grant
funding to purchase tickets.)
Specifically designed for school shows, many performing
companies incorporate a moderator or instructor (often a
director or performer) who will describe to the students
elements of the performance along with the personal
disciplines enabling such performances.
Master Classes and Workshops
Each year BPA’s Education Department hosts
numerous master classes and workshops led by
performing artists who come to Charlotte for
multiple-performance engagements at BPA
theaters. In addition to our theater venues, master
classes and workshops are frequently held at
college, middle school and high school campuses,
dance studios, and other community sites.
Performers typically demonstrate various
aspects of their art form then lead attendees in
participatory activities. Most recently, we have
begun an improv comedy workshop series in
conjunction with Blumenthal’s new Queen City
Improv Room.
Broadway Junior Theater Celebration
Broadway Junior Theater Celebration is a unique, fun, all-day
learning experience for musical theatre performance groups from
Charlotte area elementary and middle schools. Following each
school’s presentation of a song/scene from a musical, a
distinguished panel of New York professionals provides positive,
instructive feedback. Students also participate in several voice,
dance, and acting workshops.
Participating schools in the 2019 Celebration will each have
recently presented at their respective home venues a
Broadway musical production adapted for children by the New
York company iTheatrics. (BPA has been a collaborating
partner with iTheatrics on the Broadway Junior initiative since
2004.) Thanks to generous gifts from BPA donors, we are able to annually provide or
supplement the cost of individual iTheatrics-produced Broadway Junior show kits
(approximately $450 each) to needy Charlotte area schools.
With 45 or more schools now participating each year, we provide the one-day experience on
three consecutive days to accommodate all of the students in our beautiful Knight Theater.
The Blumey Awards
Blumenthal Performing Arts High School Musical Theater Awards Program
Patterned after Broadway’s Tony Awards® and loosely
aligned with similar regional programs around the country, our
first annual Blumey Awards program was held in 2012 with 20
participating high schools. In 2018, musical productions from
47 schools competed for trophies representing the best in
thirteen
categories
– including Best Musical, Best Student
Orchestra, and Best Actor and Actress.
The two students who win Best Actor and Best
Actress receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New
York to participate in the annual National High
School Musical Awards program and ceremony
known as The Jimmy Awards. Our Charlotte area
students join others from regional programs around
the country for an intensive, professional-level
performance training program.
Affinity Groups
BPA Affinity groups are informal social clubs consisting of members who enjoy making
new friends and attending great Blumenthal performances. Participants enjoy free pre-
or post-show parties plus great discounts on show tickets. The Education Department
plans and coordinates events for two student affinity groups, Charlotte Live – High
School and Charlotte Live – Middle School, and for one adult group, Teachers’
Lounge, that serves area educators and their friends.
Charlotte Live
For Charlotte Live students the 2017-2018 season includes fun, get
-acquainted pre
-
and post-show events for
ON YOUR FEET, SCHOOL OF ROCK, WAITRESS,
SOMETHING ROTTEN, THE COLOR PURPLE, and THE LION KING.
Teachers Lounge
In addition to enjoying pre-show dinners provided by BPA’s restaurant and catering
partners, teachers of all grades and subjects (along with their friends) purchase
specially discounted season and single show tickets. Teachers continually express
their appreciation for this BPA-provided
benefit. Pre-show parties for the 2017-
2018 season will be held in tandem with
the following performances: ON YOUR
FEET, SCHOOL OF ROCK,
WAITRESS, SOMETHING ROTTEN,
BRIGHT STAR, THE COLOR PURPLE,
THE LION KING, and HAMILTON!
The Broadway Experience
Funded entirely by The Doctor Family Foundation, this annual
program provides twelve talented
Charlotte area high school
students an all-expenses
-paid Broadway-intensive weekend in
NYC. The intent is to affirm the students in their artistic potential,
engage them in numerous aspects of Broadway production, and
inform them of opportunities available in and through the
performing arts. The fortunate twelve are selected from students
nominated by music and theater teachers from 25
area high
schools.
During the 2017 Broadway Experience, the students saw
TOP OF THE ROCK, ANASTASIA, TOO HEAVY FOR
YOUR POCKET,
and CATS
. They also took part in post-
show Q&A sessions with cast members from two of the
three shows. A first time trip to the Big Apple would of
course not be complete without touring Lincoln Center,
Radio City Music Hall, the Empire State Building, and
Central Park.
The Blumenthal Experience
Each year, students nominated for The Broadway
Experience but not selected for the New York
adventure are invited to an intensive day of discovery
at BPA’s three Tryon Street campuses.
The Blumenthal Experience is designed to
showcase career opportunities in the field of
performing arts, and offers several workshops in
which students can learn more about careers in the
arts. Students will learn from BPA’s Technical
Theater staff, meet with BPA arts management
professionals, participate in a monologue workshop,
take part in a resume-building workshop, and see a
touring Broadway show hosted by Blumenthal. The 2019 Blumenthal Experience will
take place in conjunction with BPA’s run of the hit musical MISS SAIGON.
Junior Ambassadors
BPA’s Junior Ambassadors program provides Charlotte Region high school juniors and
seniors an excellent educational and hands-on volunteer experience in the beyond
-the
-
stage world of the performing arts. Participants are selected from applicants who
maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average and have stellar character references.
During the school year, Junior Ambassadors serve as volunteer theater ushers in BPA
theaters and attend a series of “Saturday Seminars.” During our 2017-2018
performance season, 45 Junior Ambassadors, representing 27 area high schools
within 7 counties, will
collectively contribute
more than 1,000 volunteer ushering hours.
College Internship Program
Blumenthal internships provide hands-on and instructional learning experiences to
college and graduate students considering careers related to the performing arts
. The
Education Department has the privilege of coordinating intern experiences among
BPA’s participating departments. Full-time Blumenthal internships (30+ hours per
week) require a minimum student commitment of ten weeks. Pending the needs of
individual departments, and true to the nature of the world of the performing arts,
flexibility in daily and/or weekly work scheduling is often required. To assist full-time
interns with living expenses, Blumenthal provides a stipend of $250 per week. Past
interns have completed projects such as lighting design for our Best of Open Mic,
served as project assistants on the Blumey Awards, helped organize benefits for the
HR department, and more.
Scholarships
Mary Doctor Performing Arts Scholarship
The Mary Doctor Performing Arts Scholarship Fund was
established in honor of business leader and philanthropist,
Mary Doctor. Each year, up to two graduating high school
seniors within the Charlotte Region demonstrating above
average ability and great interest in one or more areas of the
performing arts are selected as scholarship recipients. Each
student receives an annually renewable scholarship of up to
$10,000. Since the inception of the fund in 2010,
16 Charlotte
-
area students have been awarded these extremely generous
scholarship packages. To date, 8 institutions of higher learning have been attended/are being
attended by Mary Doctor scholarship recipients, including NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts,
Boston Conservatory, and UNC School of the Arts. This year’s winners are HK Wall of
Northwest School of the Arts and Kahlil Cabble of Central Academy for Technology and Art.
Gordon Hay Scholarship
The Gordon Hay Scholarship is a merit based scholarship program
established in 2015 in memory of Gordon Hay, an organizational
development professional who believed passion and fire from within fuel
exceptional results. Each year a $5,000 scholarship is awarded to one
high school senior planning to pursue a non-performing career in the
performing arts industry. The award is not to be used for tuition, but for
books and supplies and extra-curricular learning opportunities related to
the recipient’s career interest. Examples include professional conferences,
seminars or workshops, unpaid internship programs, and theatre and
music performances. This year’s winner is Sophie Feher of Ardrey Kell High School.
The Spirit of Service Scholarship
With many thanks for the generous gifts from one of our
donor families, several high school seniors in the Junior
Ambassadors program are presented scholarships each
year. The purpose of these awards is to encourage the
pursuit of higher education and provide financial
assistance for expenses related to the first year of
college.
Detailed information about the above scholarship programs may be found at blumenthalarts.org/scholarships.
Special Community Outreach Programs
Get to Know the Show
Get To know the Show (GTKS) programs are free events provided for
the general public. These programs are designed to present
information regarding upcoming Blumenthal-presented shows in an
entertaining, upbeat, enjoyable manner, and
, when available, to offer
attendees the ability to purchase specially discounted tickets.
Typically held in the Booth Playhouse, GTKS programs often
incorporate a variety of activities including teaching artist presentations, hands
-on activities for
attendees, and cast member appearances.
Arts for All Ticket Scholarships
In December 2009, BPA announced a commitment to expand
accessibility to select touring Broadway shows for families and
children
with limited financial resources. We currently partner
with a number of local organizations (Boys and Girls Club of
Greater Charlotte, Communities in Schools, Circle de Luz, and
many more) to identify and invite families to participate.
Several
weeks prior to each performance, families and organizations are
given a show packet and study guide.
The cost of these programs are covered by Blumenthal
Performing Arts and donor partners because of the belief that sharing arts experiences with all
members of our region is vital to creating a strong and vibrant community.
Freedom Schools
Blumenthal provides tickets to a touring Broadway production in the summer months in conjunction
with Freedom Schools’ educational summer programs for underserved children. This year, Freedom
School students and family members saw Disney’s THE LION KING.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Ticket Scholarship
Beginning with the 2010-2011 performance season, BPA has provided a unique
ticket scholarship account program for Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Greater
Charlotte in the amount of $14,000 annually. This account allows BBBS to acquire
tickets to any performance of any Blumenthal-presented show. This show selection
flexibility enables BBBS to incorporate Blumenthal theater attendance with their
own awards programs and as special incentives—accommodating the individual
schedules and show preferences of “Bigs” (mentors) and their respective “Littles”
(mentees).Thanks to a generous donation from Duke Energy, Blumenthal will continue the BBBS
ticket scholarship program for the 2018-2019 season.
WHIRL (as in Give it a WHIRL!), is a Blumenthal initiative designed to provide more participatory and
interactive performing arts activities for the Charlotte area community. WHIRL events are open to the
public, family-friendly, and free.
Open Mic
Open to performers and spectators of all ages, Open Mic occurs about
eight times a year, providing Charlotte Region folks an opportunity to
perform on the stage of Blumenthal’s McGlohon Theater. Hundreds
attend each event to see and hear instrumentalists, singers, dancers,
storytellers, poets, jugglers, magicians, and other performers of all
ability/skill levels. This year, we
offered our first
-ever Open Mic Workshop
for all performers who have performed with us before and were
interested in enhancing their performance abilities.
For information on performing and attending, see
blumenthalarts.org/Blumenthal-enrichment/whirl.
Improv Pre-Show Workshops
Ever see an improv comedy show and think “I can do that”?! Workshops are a
part of the Queen City Improv Room series of comedy shows in the Stage
Door Theater, and are held the day of the performance. Workshops are
designed for comedy beginners, but those that want to hone their improv
skills are welcome, too! Workshops are free for participants.
Jazz Festival Educational Activities
In conjunction with BPA’s 2018 Charlotte Jazz Festival featuring Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at
Lincoln Center Orchestra, our Education team provided numerous opportunities for jazz students to
get involved with the festival.
This year, we hosted the fourth annual Loonis McGlohon Young Jazz Artists Competition, in which
the first, second, and third place winners receive scholarship prizes of $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000,
respectively. Through participation in the competition, some of our winners have also made important
connections within the jazz world that have accelerated their budding careers.
Another opportunity for students was in our new Student Jazz Band Showcase program. Six different
jazz bands from area high schools and colleges were able to participate in educational programming
during the Festival. Thanks to our donors, these students were able to receive free tickets for
concerts, participate in master classes with professional musicians, and round out their weekend with
a jazz showcase performance.
For students that were unable to come to the festival, we offered eight in-school master classes with
musicians from Sammy Miller and the Congregation and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
