Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts invites the community to experience the future of musical theatre at the Broadway 360 Showcase, a one-night-only performance on Sunday, May 10 at 5 p.m.
This event will feature 19 of Northern Indiana’s young performers, ages 13–19, who have spent the past five months training as part of Broadway 360, Wagon Wheel Conservatory’s new year-round pre-professional program for aspiring musical theatre artists, according to a news release from the Wagon Wheel.
Selected through a competitive audition process, these students have engaged in weekly training across a wide range of disciplines, including acting, voice, dance, theatre history and the business of the industry. Under the guidance of working theatre professionals, participants have received a level of instruction designed to mirror collegiate and early professional training environments.
Broadway 360 was developed by Wagon Wheel Professional Theatre alum and Program Director/Choreographer Ian B. Connor, whose casting credits include major television programs such as “America’s Got Talent,” “Star Search” and “American Idol.” He is joined by Resident Music Director Thomas Hall, who also serves as assistant professor of musical theatre and voice at Ball State University. Together, they have crafted a curriculum aimed at preparing students for success both onstage and beyond, the release states.
The Broadway 360 Showcase marks the culmination of the program’s inaugural semester and serves as a celebration of each student’s growth, discipline and artistry. Audiences can expect a dynamic evening of musical theatre performance, featuring solo pieces, monologues, duets, trios, quartets and full ensemble numbers.
As the first public presentation of Broadway 360, the event also signals the program’s expansion, with plans to launch a full season this fall. The initiative is poised to become one of Indiana’s leading pre-college musical theatre training opportunities, rooted in the belief that world-class arts education should be accessible to local students, according to the release.
In addition to providing an evening of entertainment, the Broadway 360 Showcase celebrates homegrown talent and underscores the importance of investing in youth and the arts, the release states. Proceeds and attendance directly support the continued growth of Wagon Wheel Conservatory programming.
Tickets are available at wagonwheelcenter.org or by calling the box office at 574-267-8041.
