Legendary Broadway and screen performer Ben Vereen invites all performing arts students from Portland area high schools, colleges and acting and dance companies to audition on Saturday, January 21st in Lake Oswego for a spot as an apprentice at this summer’s Broadway Theatre Project, which Playbill magazine has called “the world’s most prestigious musical arts education program for high school and college students.”

Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street, Lake Oswego, will host the event this Saturday at 10:00am where all students interested in attending BTP’s 22nd season in Tampa will be expected to present a one-minute monologue, 16 bars of a song, and a dance combination in front of the organization’s distinguished audition team, which includes Broadway performer Herman Payne who has appeared in shows including Fosse, West Side Story, The Wiz, and 9 to 5, among others.

Those unable to attend the live audition are encouraged to send a recorded audition on DVD.

Broadway Theatre Project Artistic Director Ben Vereen and Co-Artistic Director Debra McWaters are conducting a winter tour to a dozen U.S. cities to find talented students who wish to receive advanced training in the disciplines of acting, dancing and singing, taught by a resident faculty of accomplished educators and performers. The three-week intensive is supplemented by visits from distinguished professionals in the field, many of whom are Tony Award winners and nominees.

In 1991, Ann Reinking and Ms. McWaters, who worked together on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musicals Chicago and Fosse, were two of the people responsible for founding Broadway Theatre Project, a program which has developed into a world-class training ground for young artists. Although Ms. Reinking has since retired from BTP, Ms. McWaters continues to serve as its President, in addition to her artistic responsibilities.

Mr. Vereen has served as a Guest Artist at BTP for many years and the organization has honored him for its 2012 session with the esteemed position of Artistic Director. He put his mark on the program with this year’s theme, Expect Excellence, to which he states “We’ve looked for excellence everywhere, now it’s time to look within. Come join us and discover the excellence of you.”

Details on both the live and DVD audition process, the national audition tour schedule, and the program essentials may be found on the organization’s website broadwaytheatreproject.com, or by calling 1-888-874-1764.
 
BTP’s 2012 session takes place July 8th-29th at the University of South Florida in Tampa.