The Soul of Broadway is Alive and Well in Tampa, Florida

For a Group of Talented Young Folks, Tampa, Florida is the Heart of Musical Theatre Education

Since when does the humid atmosphere of Tampa and the flickering lights of Broadway fit in the same sentence? If you're a young person, concentrating on becoming a musical theatre performer, you know exactly why they fit together.

The Broadway Theatre Project, a venture founded by Ann Reinking, Debra McWaters, and Mary Walkley, has been rounding out the education of dancers, singers, and actors in Tampa, Florida since 1991. With their unique approach to teaching the concepts, skills, and business of musical theatre, they have had an integral part in producing the finest young artists that enter Broadway with two feet firmly in the air.

Every year, in late winter, McWaters, along with other musical theatre professionals, scours the four points of the country holding auditions for prospective BTP "apprentices". Among the thousands of hopefuls, ranging in ages from 16 to approximately 24, only a hundred or so will make the cut to become a Broadway Theatre Project Apprentice.

In 2006, I had the distinct opportunity to be a fly on the wall during the New York City auditions. With no prior knowledge of the project, acting as tag along help for the staff photographer, I sat in the corner taking notes of what I observed.

The first thing I noticed was the level of anticipation on the faces of the cherubic young performers. You think you've seen the color white before, but the sterile walls behind them appeared dirty compared to their freshly drained faces. Many were accompanied by anxious yet supportive parents. They knew that a place on the project meant a step up for their child. Being a part of the BTP was a degree towards success in the performing arts.

In two audition rooms their fate was sealed.