Segerstrom Center for the Arts’s Youth Summer Camps Ignite Dreams and Transform Lives
COSTA MESA, CA – Every Summer, Segerstrom Center for the Arts hosts two incredible education-based camps designed to teach young artists the musical theater skills needed to make a dazzling production come to life. In June, Five Days of Broadway, a non-audition-based camp, teaches the fundamentals of musical theater music, dance, scene, and backstage production to middle school and high school students. In August, Summer at the Center, a partnership with Orange County Department of Education’s Community and Correctional Education Schools and Services (ACCESS) Division, provides musical theater training to a selected group of high-risk high school students. Both summer camps teach the fundamentals of musical theater while simultaneously fostering confidence and artistic growth in these young individuals, encouraging them to paint the world with their creative expression.
Talena Mara, Vice President of Education at Segerstrom Center for the Arts shares “Creativity is the fuel that ignites all humans and Segerstrom Center for the Arts makes it a priority to offer creative arts related programs that provide outlets, access, and engagement to students in our community. The Center’s summer camps offer opportunities for students from every background and experience to explore the creative magic inside each of them. Beyond learning to act, dance, and sing, these students embark on a journey of creativity, self-expression, and the cultivation of essential skills like communication, teamwork, and empathy. Witnessing the important growth of these young individuals in both Five Days of Broadway and Summer at the Center every year is moving for everyone involved, and these programs serve as inspiration for future generations of young artists and every person who loves and engages in the arts.”
Five Days of Broadway
Five Days of Broadway is celebrating its fifteenth year of providing an opportunity for students of all experience levels and ages 11 –19 to learn the fundamentals of musical theater in five days. Since its founding in 2010, over 650 students have participated in the program.
These students are coached in musical theater performance and technique by some of the industry’s leading professional artists and educators. Five Days of Broadway’s programs focus on building a strong foundation of technique in Broadway music, scene work, and dance as well as an introduction to design and backstage technical aspects of professional theater.
This program is incredibly beneficial to those looking to gain real experience in the performing arts field. Previous Five Days of Broadway attendees have even gone on to land Broadway roles. Natalie Powers participated in the program from 2011 to 2013, transitioning to an assistant role from 2014 to 2015, and later as an assistant dance teacher from 2016 to 2017. Her journey at Segerstrom Center culminated in her starring in the Broadway tour “Fiddler on the Roof,” and performing on the Segerstrom Hall stage. Similarly, Kyla Stone, who attended Five Days of Broadway from 2011 to 2013 ended up making her Broadway mark in touring productions: “Sweeney Todd”, “Anastasia”, and others.
This year’s Five Days of Broadway camps will take place June 17 – 21 for the Middle School program and June 24 – June 28 for the High School program. Both camps are currently at enrollment capacity, but interested applicants are encouraged to join the wait list. Scholarships are available for this program as well.
To learn more about Five Days of Broadway, go to scfta.org/five-days-of-
Summer at the Center
Celebrating thirty-three years, Summer at the Center is a program designed to empower high-risk high school students through active participation in a rigorous two-week program of musical theater classes conducted by professional artists. This unique, nationally recognized program was founded in conjunction with the late Dr. Maurice Allard, who believed in the power of the performing arts as a critical and authentic means to developing self-esteem and building confidence. This extraordinary program continues using the same basic model, achieving its original goals which make a profound and memorable impact on the lives of hundreds of youth in our community.
One of the most powerful outcomes of the program is the strong influence it has had on participants’ lives. Many participants have become new peer role models for other students. One school official observed a student’s experience at Summer at the Center provided the motivation to succeed in other subject areas and go on to graduate high school. Over 1,000 students have taken part in Summer at the Center over the years.
Summer at the Center has been presented by Segerstrom Center for the Arts’s Education Department as an ongoing collaboration between the Orange County Department of Education and its Alternative, Community, and Correctional Education Schools and Services (ACCESS) division for the past 33 years. As part of this five-unit high school fine arts course, students receive instruction and coaching in voice, dance, improvisation, audition techniques, and stagecraft, with a special emphasis on how these presentation skills translate into success in life outside of the theater.
This year, the program will be led by Summer at the Center veterans Jarod Sheahan (Artistic Director) and Megan Sheahan (Choreographer) who stepped into these leadership roles for the first-time last year after having served on the artistic team for over a decade. This program is a testament to the power that the performing arts can give to youth and the ways that the arts can offer avenues for personal growth, creativity, and self-expression.
Past Summer at the Center participant, Jaden shared “During Summer at the Center I learned to always shine bright no matter the situation and to get out of my comfort zone.” (2023) Elizabeth, another Summer at the Center participant shared “It was an amazing experience that changed me for the better.” (2023)
Summer at the Center participants are selected through the Orange County Department of Education and their final performances are free and open to the public. Summer at the Center 2024 performances will take place on Saturday, August 3 at 3:30 and 7:30pm.
To learn more about Summer at the Center, go to scfta.org/summer-at-the-center
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an innovative, nonprofit arts organization committed to supporting artistic excellence, creating impactful educational programs, and dedicated to engaging a culturally connected, inclusive, and vital Orange County community for all, through the power of live performance. As the leading cultural arts hub, the Center presents a variety of programming with performances by international dance companies, Broadway national tours, jazz and cabaret musicians, chamber orchestras and ensembles, comedy, and speaker series. Through the Education and Community Engagement departments, the Center also delivers family-friendly programming and performances on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza; these events include outdoor movie screenings, concerts, dance classes, diverse festivals, and more. With six venues on a beautiful multi-disciplinary campus, Segerstrom Center for the Arts proudly serves as the artistic home to three of the region’s major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, Philharmonic Society of Orange County, and Pacific Chorale as well as two independently acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and the Orange County Museum of Art. Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School and Studio D, Arts School for All Abilities.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds its Official Heath Care Partner, Kaiser Permanente.
