Baldwin Wallace music theatre students are on their way to New York City this spring to perform their senior showcase on April 15-16 at New World Stages, where they will present their talents to industry professionals.
The music theatre students have been preparing for their showcase for the entire spring semester, crafting a 50-minute performance that best markets the senior class and shows off what they bring to the industry.
Senior music theatre student Maggie Solimine said the showcase helps prepare students for a career in acting.
“It’s kind of like a nice introduction to the industry, and hopefully we’ll leave with representation and make that transition to being a working actor easier,” Solimine said.
According to senior music theatre student Keaton Miller, BWMT’s senior showcase is one of the most attended school showcases, and the students have had a 100% success rate in getting signed on by an agent for the past five years. The students are confident that they will get some sort of representation as they head to New York City after graduation.
The showcase includes a group opening number, closing number, and individual sections to highlight each student. The seniors each sing two song cuts that represent the types of roles they fit best. The students met with BWMT program director Victoria Bussert throughout fall 2023 to discuss their marketable talents and solidify their song cuts.
“Each student gets about three minutes to three and a half minutes of stage time to showcase their best talents,” Miller said. “In those two songs, you show two contrasting aspects of your performance ability, and then peppered throughout, we have different abilities shown, like dancing.”
Miller said he wants to highlight his strengths as the “All-American leading man,” especially because there are many upcoming musicals that showcase this type of role. His second cut reveals a more “intimate” and “softer side” of Americana. Solimine, on the other hand, said she wants to show off her “powerhouse” vocals.
As the showcase draws near, Solimine said that seniors can feel intense pressure to make sure they perform perfectly, fearing that one misstep can lead to no representation. She said that it is tough for the seniors to not question their song cuts, but it is important to trust their instincts.
“Any advice that I would give students that have a showcase when they’re here [is that] it’s really just one day, and there’s a lot of pressure put on it, but it’s supposed to be for you,” Solimine said. “It can be really stressful and feel like a huge deal, but at the end of the day, it’s really just a good way to get your career kick-started, and it’s not really by any means an end-all be-all.”
As the seniors are preparing to leave BW and head into the next journey of their lives, they look back at the memories they made at BW fondly, expressing love for the music theatre program and an admiration of the work they’ve put into launching their careers.
“It’s about taking that moment to realize that you’ve put in the work [and] you’ve put in the time,” Miller said. “I look back with pride. I look forward with excitement.”
The close-knit senior music theatre class will perform together one last time at the showcase, rooting for each other and cheering them on.
“I’m gonna miss them, and I’m gonna miss performing with them. But that’s also the beauty of theatre,” Miller said. “Something isn’t beautiful because it lasts, and I’m grateful that I’ve had the time to share the stage with them one last time.”
The BWMT seniors will perform their showcase for family and friends on April 27 in the Kleist Center for Art & Drama. The event is free, and tickets are available at bw.edu/events.
Visit https://bwmt2024showcase.webflow.io/ to learn more about the twenty graduating seniors.
