The week before spring break, 14 of IU's musical theater students were at a loss when they heard their senior showcase would be postponed due to COVID-19. Broadway World, a theater news website, gave five of them a way to keep performing.
Broadway World asked collegiate musical theater students who had a senior showcase cancelled to submit a video, a picture and information so they could be added to Broadway World’s online College Showcase.
Senior showcases are used to give students a chance to connect with casting directors, agents and other professional talent representatives. Talent representatives can email Broadway World if they are interested in a student, and they will receive contact information.
Musical theater student Joey LaPlant said many showcases are in big cities. IU’s showcase was supposed to be in New York City at Joe’s Pub in May, an annual tradition.
The theater department plans to gather the graduates and travel to New York to do the showcase in the fall, although nothing is finalized, LaPlant said.
Luke Major, another affected student, said it is something you prepare for over time in the program.
“It’s something you really look forward to during your four years,” Major said.
He said he found out about the Broadway World showcase through the group's Facebook page. After Nina Donville, another student, shared that she submitted her material, Major decided to submit his own.
“It really meant a lot to me that there were other people out there that we didn’t even know who were trying to still create opportunities for us to be seen and get our material out there,” he said.
Madelyn Allender, who submitted her own material, said she was already contacted by a management company. She gave advice to other seniors missing a showcase.
“Take advantage of anything that’s out there because it’s really easy to feel distraught,” she said. “It’s not the end of the world because if it weren’t for that, then I wouldn’t have had this opportunity.”
Donville said she found the opportunity through Instagram. She said after she submitted her material, she woke up one day to see that a friend shared a Broadway World post with her thumbnail picture. She was officially part of the College Showcase. Over time, more students were added.
“It was just a really warm feeling to get to see not only myself but my classmates and not only my classmates but other seniors from around the world get that little recognition,” Donville said. “It gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment in a time where everybody’s really struggling to be inspired.”
Casey Lamont said she submitted material and found out she was added after her mom saw the post on Facebook.
“It was so quick,” she said. “I was so surprised.”
She said Broadway World is a big opportunity due to its prominence.
“Broadway World is such a renowned website for all of the theater people and our industry,” Lamont said. “I thought it was a really nice thing for them to do.”
Donville said while showcases are meant to catch the attention of talent agencies, they are not really in a situation to hire.
“They’re really trying to focus on maintaining the clients that they do have,” she said. “It’s a bit of an inopportune time.”
She said she thinks it is really about creating a community with seniors who are in the same situation.
“That’s the bigger, underlying purpose that we got involved with in the first place,” Donville said.
Joey LaPlant was recently added to the College Showcase. He said the opportunity keeps artists all over connected.
“It’s just part of what everyone has done to band together and still do what we like to do and create art over the time that we can’t physically be together,” he said. “It gives you something tangible.”
