Musical theater songwriting team Sam Carner and Derek Gregor are giving 11 young performers the chance to live their dream on August 21 as they showcase their talents at 54 Below’s Barely Legal Show-Tune Extravaganza. This annual contest gives college performers the opportunity to attend weeklong intensive workshops with Broadway stars, casting directors, agents and other industry professionals before taking the stage to perform alongside musical theater heavyweights (like Tituss Burgess and Natalie Weiss) at the big concert event. The students are chosen via YouTube videos, and below BroadwayBox hears from Carner and Gregor about what made each artist stand out. So plug in your headphones, turn up the volume and get ready to meet Broadway’s next generation of stars.
Lydia Hall
We were charmed by this English rose the moment we saw her work. We loved her accessibility and warmth when approaching this broadly comic song.
Kyle Segarra
Kyle's version of “Make It Here" was one of the best we have seen. His incredible range only added to his delivery of the lyric, which was at once thoughtful and intense. We knew at once that he could handle pretty much any material we sent his way.
Hannah Zazzaro
Hannah's amazing pop/rock voice, killer range and dynamic personality made us all stop in our tracks and watch her audition video again and again!
Morissa Trunzo
We were originally drawn to Morissa's smoky voice and beautiful delivery not knowing that her legit chops were just as amazing! Her natural openness and voice really grabbed us out of our chairs.
Tiffany Ames
Besides having a powerhouse voice, Tiffany's open and generous personality came through her video in spades added to that her wonderful lyric delivery choices made her an amazing choice for the concert.
Daina Goldenberg
It was immediately seen just what a lovely voice Daina had, however, we were even more impressed when she added her great mix into the song. We have gone on to discover in her a unique, quirky personality that makes her a delight, both on and off-stage.
Kayla Eilers
Kayla is striking in so many ways. Hilarious and vulnerable, yet also so in control of her movement, and what a voice! She is a true triple threat!
Nat Zegree
A completely charming performer who is always at home on stage, Nat brings with him a quirky confidence—along with a fantastic voice—to everything he does.
Zachary Stewart
Combining a gorgeous bari-tenor voice with emotional availability and detailed acting choices, Zach is constantly engaging and intriguing to watch and hear.
Emily Schultheis
A force of nature. Emily comes in an out like a hurricane in this number, combining it with an emotional grounding that makes her performance riveting from start to finish. And she’s got the most effortless mix-belt in town.
Mia Fitzgibbon
Always making unique, thoughtful acting choices, Mia brings a wonderful life and to whatever material she approaches. She consistently finds and inserts surprising moments of comedy and vocal power, and we’re always delighted to see what she does.
See this talented group perform side by side with some of Broadway’s brightest stars in the sixth annual ‘Barely Legal Show-Tune Extravaganza’ at 54 Below on August 21.
