The Center Cheers OCSA’s Broadway-Bound Students

From left to right, Madison Mitchell, Chesney Thompson, Sarah Edmunds 
and Rebecca Murillo

Chesney Thompson, Rebecca Murillo and Sarah Edmunds, who participated in the smash hit flash mob for the opening night of MEMPHIS last season are performing in Orange County School of the Arts’ Bridge 2 Broadway program. Also in the program are Griffin Runnels, who participated in the MEMPHIS talk back and Madison Mitchell from the cast of CATS. Aspiring student actors and theater technicians study with Broadway professionals, including Tony Award-winning Broadway producers (MEMPHIS, Hair) Tim and Pamela Kashani of Apples and Oranges Studios. Bridget 2 Broadway creates is a distinctive program that helps to develop a new generation of working theater professionals, empowers working actors and provides aspiring artists with the resources to grow and refine their works. Performances to showcase the students are July 12 – 14 and 17-21 at the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana.

From left to right, Madison Mitchell, Chesney Thompson, Sarah Edmunds
and Rebecca Murillo

Memphis Inspires a Flash Mob on Opening Night

©Cheryl Walsh

On opening night of Memphis, the cast and audience were greeted to an unexpected treat – a surprise flash mob during the show' finale. More than 100 OC students from the Anaheim Performing Arts Conservatory, Orange County School of the Arts and the Center's own Six Days of Broadway Musical Theater Camp participated. The flash mob was developed while the students were enrolled in Inspire Change, a nationwide education program developed by Memphis. In Costa Mesa, Center teaching artist Dalisa Krauss helped the young people explore the history of segregation during the 1950s and how Rock N' Roll encouraged people to enjoy music regardless of race. Since February 2012, nearly 2,000 students have had the opportunity to enjoy Memphis on Broadway through Inspire Change. 

View the flash mob here. For more information about Inspire Change, click here. 

©Cheryl Walsh

©Cheryl Walsh