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Broadway Artists Alliance welcomed two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Brightman for an unforgettable special appearance and Q&A with BAA students in New York City. Check out photos of his visit.
Currently starring as Josh Skinner in Broadway’s Tony Award-winning Best Musical Schmigadoon!, Brightman is best known for originating the title role in Beetlejuice and Dewey Finn in School of Rock, earning Tony Award nominations for both celebrated performances. His extensive Broadway credits also include Wicked, Big Fish, Matilda the Musical, Glory Days, The Shark Is Broken and Spamalot. With his signature quick wit, candid storytelling and infectious enthusiasm, Brightman offered students an honest and inspiring look at building a lasting career in the theater.
Brightman reflected on the hard work, perseverance and rejection behind his extraordinary Broadway career. Although he is currently appearing in his tenth Broadway production, he reminded students that every success rests upon many setbacks. ‘The ten Broadway shows that I’m sitting on are sitting on a way bigger mountain of nos,’ Brightman shared. ‘When you get the wins, really enjoy those, because there aren’t a lot of them.’ He encouraged the young artists to remain open to new opportunities while also trusting their instincts: ‘Say yes when it feels right and no when it doesn’t.’
Students also received an inside look at Brightman’s creative process, including how he transformed the famously mischievous title character of Beetlejuice for the stage. While developing the role over several years of workshops and rehearsals, Brightman realized that one essential quality was missing from the character: charm. ‘Why don’t we just make him lonely in a real way, in a human way?’ he recalled. ‘People who are lonely will do desperate things to get friends.’ That discovery helped Brightman create a character who desperately wanted the audience’s affection but had absolutely no understanding of personal boundaries, a hilarious and unexpectedly human approach that became central to his acclaimed performance.
The conversation also explored vocal health, authenticity and the importance of protecting one’s mental well-being in a demanding industry. After suffering a vocal injury during School of Rock, Brightman became a passionate advocate for consistent vocal training and care. That preparation allowed him to perform the demanding vocal characterization of Beetlejuice safely throughout the run. ‘If you want to do a voice, make sure you can do it,’ he advised. ‘If you want to do it, train.’
Brightman concluded by encouraging the students to define success for themselves instead of measuring their progress against the careers or expectations of others. ‘If you’re doing okay by your own criteria, then you’re doing okay,’ he said. He reminded the group that being an actor is not dependent upon booking a Broadway show, or even making acting a full-time career. ‘Do something that makes you feel like an actor every day,’ Brightman shared. ‘It doesn’t have to be an audition.’ His humor and vulnerability left BAA’s young artists energized to continue creating, training and pursuing their own individual paths.
Broadway Artists Alliance of NYC, founded with the goal of providing professional-level training to talented young artists, enlists talented Broadway performers, Tony Award winners, and top industry professionals. Students enjoy a wide range of classes including vocal training, song interpretation, scene study, on camera technique, and various types of dance. BAA offers four Summer Intensive Sessions and one Winter Workshop for students ages 10-21, BAA Junior for students ages 8-10, the Adult Professional Program, and a College Audition Workshop for high school Juniors and Seniors who will be auditioning for Musical Theatre and Acting degree programs.
Broadway Artists Alliance’s roster of master class instructors and guest speakers includes Christy Altomare, Laura Benanti, Susan Blackwell, Stephanie J. Block, Sierra Boggess, Christian Borle, Alex Brightman, Jason Robert Brown, Andrea Burns, Norbert Leo Butz, Carolee Carmello, Matt Cavenaugh, Michael Cerveris, Adam Chanler-Berat, Jenn Colella, Gabriel Ebert, Eden Espinosa, Michelle Federer, Katie Finneran, Sutton Foster, John Gallagher Jr., Alexander Gemignani, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Lena Hall, Douglas Hodge, Bill Irwin, Christopher Jackson, Nikki M. James, Gregory Jbara, Adam Kantor, Judy Kaye, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Beth Leavel, Caissie Levy, Norm Lewis, Andrea Martin, Donna McKechnie, Lindsay Mendez, Lea Michele, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bebe Neuwirth, Karen Olivo, Billy Porter, Lea Salonga, Stephen Schwartz, Duncan Sheik, Will Swenson, Marc Shaiman, Aaron Tveit, Noah Weisberg, Lillias White, Scott Wittman, John Lloyd Young, and many more.
For more information or to register for Programs, visit www.broadwayartistsalliance.org.
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