2024
Monday, January 8, 2024 ★ 7:30 p.m. Honoring Florence Birdwell Emcee Seth Rudetsky
Neidorff-Karpati Hall ★ Manhattan School of Music ★ New York City
N AT I O N A L A S S O C I AT I O N o f T E AC H E R S o f S I N G I N G
NATIONAL MUSICAL THEATRE COMPETITION first prize Florence Birdwell Award
$10,000 PLUS a concert at the next NATS National Conference, $1,000 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard Corporation
second prize
third prize
Linda J. Snyder Award $2,500 PLUS a $500 Gift Certificate from Hal Leonard
fourth prize
Louise Lerch Award $1000
Bill Hayes Award $750
National Musical Theatre Competition Adjudicators Preliminary Round Adjudicators New York
David Ruttura Ellery Sandhu Dave Seccor
Amy Justman Analisa Leaming Kelly Murphy
Online
Cassie Okenka Jeff Ostermueller Raymond Sage
Libby Servais Gwendolyn Walker Erin Wilson
Thanks to the National Opera Center for hosting the in-person Preliminary Round audition.
Semifinal Round Adjudicators
Final Round Adjudicators Andy Einhorn Adam Guettel
Ryan Scott Oliver Ali Ewoldt Katie Rockwell
JoAnn Hunter Matt Redmond
2024 NMTC Competition Team Frank Ragsdale, NMTC Coordinator Alisa Belflower, NATS Vice President for Auditions Mark McQuade, NATS National Coordinator for Competitions and Auditions
Sponsors Foundation Heritage Fund of the NATS Endowment
S E M I F I N A L I S T S A N D CO L L A B O R AT I V E P I A N I S T S
NATIONAL MUSICAL THEATRE COMPETITION SEMIFINALISTS
Amanda Angeles
Nicole Duffy
(Long Beach, CA)
Ashlyn Combs
(Lexington, SC)
Nicole Labun
Audrey Logan
Samantha Lucas
Kate McQuillan
Brianna Reed
Samantha Ringor
Sophia Ross
(Chicago, IL)
(McDonald, PA)
Sebastian Plymette
(Fort Myers, FL)
(Grapevine, TX)
(Williamstown, NJ)
(New York, NY)
(Lawrenceville, NJ)
Liam Fisher (Marquette, MI)
( Chicago, IL)
(Portsmouth, RI)
Sophia Flores
Julien Gussman
Berri Harris
Faith Jones
Taylor Ann Mitchell
Jack Morrill
Adam Morrison
Mark Munoz
Rachel Schoenecker
MacKenzie Sechi
Michael Stebbins
Luke Weber
(Huntington Beach, CA)
(New York, NY)
(San Jose, CA)
(New York, NY)
(Doylestown, PA)
(Onalaska, WI)
(Los Angeles, CA)
(New York, NY)
(Oklahoma City, OK)
(Cape Breton, NS)
(Dallas, TX)
(Charleston, SC)
NATIONAL MUSICAL THEATRE COMPETITION PIANISTS Live Preliminary Round Collaborative Pianist
Semifinal and Final Round Collaborative Pianists (New York)
Aaron Jodoin
Grace Berardo Laura Bright Haidee Dollak Steven Gross Debra Lambert Ron Land
N AT S .O R G
Jan McDaniel Jeremy Mims Donna Poirier Suzanne Polak Matt Salvo
T H A N K YO U T O O U R S P E C I A L G U E S T S ◾ Acclaimed host, pianist, and radio personality Seth Rudetsky is tonight’s emcee. ◾ Tony Award-winning actor and singer Kelli O’Hara is our honorary host. ◾ Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist Adam Guettel is serving as one of our adjudicators.
Seth Rudetsky
Kelli O’Hara
Adam Guettel
Thank you to all who helped make NMTC possible National Musical Theatre Competition Committee
Our Generous Supporters
Donors
Patrons
Frank Ragsdale – Chair Sue Matsuki – Gala Producer Alisa Belflower Brian Birdwell Robyn Birdwell Tiffan Borelli Stephen Coker Barbara DeMaio Nathan Gunn Lisa Reagan Love Jennifer Mather Catherine McDaniel Jan McDaniel Cassie Okenka Meredith Pyle Matt Redmond Jerry Steichen Lara Teeter Katie Travis Sarah Wigley
Lisa Reagan Love and Greg Love Linda June Snyder Drs. Robyn and Brian Birdwell, children of Florence and Robert Birdwell Allen and Ann Henderson Julie and Josh Krugman
Diana Allan and Donald Hodges Dr. Jeffrey Richard Carter Stephen Coker Ned Rockson Craig Tompkins Jason Plymette Dr. Robert Gagel Libby Keller William and Melissa Mueller Lara and Kristen Teeter Elizabeth Teeter Melinda Decker Fitzgerald Jennifer Mather Torin Wesley Chiles Rich and Nancy Olsen-Harbich Nicole Leupp Hanig Will Mann Marita Stryker Barbara Fox DeMaio Erin Anderson Alisa Belflower Kyle Dillingham Mary Brown Bonacci
Benefactors
Frank Ragsdale Colin Rockson Deborah A. Hall Bob Bryan and Jennifer Lee Geraldine Bryan Sue Matsuki Adam Guettel
Please support the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Musical Theatre Competition As we gather to celebrate the extraordinary talents of our 2024 National Musical Theatre Competition finalists, we invite you to join us in supporting the future of aspiring artists like these. Your generous contribution can make a profound impact, nurturing the dreams and aspirations of young singers striving to make their mark in the world of musical theatre. Together, let's invest in the future of the performing arts and empower these gifted individuals to reach new heights in their artistic journeys.
First Prize – Florence Birdwell Award
Second Prize – The Linda J. Snyder Award
Tonight we are honoring long-time NATS member Florence Birdwell for her remarkable impact on musical theatre and the students who studied with her during her time as professor of voice at the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University from 1946 to 2013.
Dr. Linda Snyder, who served as NATS President from 2016 to 2018 and currently holds the position of NATS Historian, has made indelible contributions to the field of vocal performance. At the University of Dayton she taught voice, lyric theatre and related courses, served as Chair of the Department of Music and as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Prior faculty positions included Illinois Wesleyan University, New York University, and Interlochen Center for the Arts (Michigan).
Birdwell taught her students how to transform from a singer to an artist. She taught them to understand and empower themselves, to celebrate life, pain, and love, and to communicate what they had to say in order to better connect both with themselves and with others. Many of her students have achieved wonderful careers including Kelli O’Hara and Kristin Chenoweth. She cared deeply about her students, and with that care came a demand for excellence. She taught people to be both vulnerable and strong. She devoted her life to others through teaching for an incredible 67 years! NATS is not simply honoring the impact Florence Birdwell had on her students during her lifetime, we are carrying her inspiration forward. In a deliberate way, we are infusing this competition with her insight and her spirit so that we do more than acknowledge her legacy, we build on it.
As a soprano soloist, Snyder has graced stages throughout the USA and Western Europe, (CUT “captivating audiences”) with performances in recitals, oratorio, and opera/musical theatre productions. Her solo recordings, “Nocturnes: 20th Century Music for Voice, Horn, and Piano” and “Praise and Joy: Sacred Song Favorites,” have garnered critical acclaim. Snyder has nurtured a generation of accomplished singers and voice teachers, with her students performing on Broadway, in professional opera, and in regional theatres. Her work as a musical director/conductor, stage director/producer, and coach-accompanist includes over fifty musicals and opera productions. As UD Professor Emerita, she continues her research and presentations in the area of women composers on Broadway.
N AT S .O R G
Third Prize – The Louise Lerch Award
Fourth Prize – The Bill Hayes Award
Longtime NATS member and former NATS Foundation President Louise Lerch worked extensively with the NATS Foundation and as a music reviewer for the Journal of Singing. Louise was a consultant to Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation for the Musical Theatre Collection for Teens and Kids (1995-2002). Her books have sold worldwide and have been used by many Broadway performers.
Bill Hayes’ remarkable career has spanned over 70 years, featuring nearly every musical and theatrical medium during that time. His early career was boosted by a long run on the weekly television variety show Your Show of Shows, in which he sang everything from opera to hit parade standards. In addition, he danced and acted in comedy skits with other pioneering TV stars, including Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca and Carl Reiner. He left the show in 1953 to be a lead in the original cast of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Me and Juliet. Hayes’s credits include over fifty roles in musical theatre and nearly that number in straight theatre productions including Carousel, South Pacific, Bye-Bye Birdie, Camelot, 1776, Sweeney Todd, and The Music Man.
Lerch taught at TWU, Brookhaven College, Texas Wesleyan College, Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Oklahoma, SMU, and Eastfield College, where she was Director of the Center for Studies in American Musical Theatre. Lerch touched the lives of thousands of students who have gone on to perform on Broadway, at Disney theme parks, and beyond. She is remembered for her generosity, and big heart. Her students affectionately referred to her as ‘Mama Louise’ and she treated each one as special. This prize is made possible through a generous donation from Jolie Stratton.
In 1970 he accepted the role of Doug Williams on the daytime television drama Days of Our Lives. Hayes received the Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
A B O U T T H E N AT I O N A L M U S I C A L T H E AT R E CO M P E T I T I O N Welcome to the National Musical Theatre Competition (NMTC) hosted by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). Established in 2011, it is the first national competition for the emerging professional musical theatre soloist. At the heart of NMTC lies a commitment to nurturing aspiring musical theatre performers, providing a platform where passion meets opportunity. With a growing legacy of cultivating talent, this competition serves as a launching pad for emerging artists, fostering their growth and paving the way for future successes. Participants from across the nation converge to showcase their vocal skills, competing not only for recognition and prizes but for the chance to further their careers in this vibrant industry. Tonight’s performers excelled through both
Michael Maliakel Title role in Aladdin
the national preliminary round and the semi-final round to earn their way on to this stage tonight. NMTC isn’t merely a competition; it's a transformative experience. Participants immerse themselves in a world of creativity, discipline, and camaraderie, guided by esteemed teachers and mentors who lend their expertise and insight throughout the process. As we gather to witness this year’s competition, we celebrate the dedication, perseverance, and artistry of these performers. Their commitment to the craft and their pursuit of excellence embodies the spirit of musical theatre. We extend our deepest gratitude to all participants, supporters, and mentors who contribute to the success of NMTC. Together, we foster the next generation of musical theatre stars, ensuring that the magic of this art form continues to inspire and delight audiences for years to come.
Linedy Genao
Originated the role of Bad Cinderella
Jacob Keith Watson Appearing in
Merrily We Roll Along
NMTC PARTICIPANTS More than 1,000 singers/actors have participated in six previous competitions since the National Musical Theatre Competition premiered in 2012. Since gracing this stage, NMTC alumni have appeared on Broadway in Aladdin, Dear Evan Hansen, On Your Feet, Bad Cinderella, Phantom of the Opera, Merrily We Roll Along, Hello Dolly, Carousel, Amelie, 1776, Violet, New York, New York, Into the Woods, KPOP, Wicked, Ain’t Too Proud, Fiddler on the Roof, Harmony, and Funny Girl. They also have appeared in countless off-Broadway productions, national tours, cruise line productions, and regional theatres. Some have joined our ranks at the National Association of Teachers of Singing and are mentoring the newest singers coming forward.
In addition to prizes, some of our participants find representation through their stellar performances here, while others refine their audition skills under the competition’s rigorous discipline. Many leave empowered by a newfound confidence in their capacity to thrive in the world of musical theatre. Everyone leaves with new friends and an expanded professional network.
PAST NMTC WINNERS 2022 David Young 2020 Lauren Carr 2018 Nathaniel Sullivan 2016 Missy Wise 2014 Michael Maliakel 2012 Jacob Keith Watson
N AT S .O R G
nclhcreativestudios.com