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“Kid-focused training is at the heart of the Center for Theater Arts.” – KidsburghPgh

Check out this article celebrating all that is thriving in excellent theater and performing arts education in the city of Pittsburgh.
We are proud to be entering our 4th decade of high quality arts education and providing great opportunities for kids to learn! Enrollment is open now for summer camps and workshops — join us for our CTA summer series!

To read full article CLICK on KIDSBURGH Logo below — or check us out on Facebook

 

 

CENTER FOR THEATER ARTS

Now in its 38th year, the Center for Theater Arts in the South Hills has a flexible performing arts curriculum of over 80 classes offered to kids from age 4 to 17. The Centers programs are designed specifically students and families who have very busy schedules.

DANCE classes include tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop. ACTING classes include acting for the camera and improvisation, while the “Acting Playground” class explores how voice, body, emotions, and creativity are tools for the craft of acting. Classes in VOICE emphasize skill development and are intended for those students who wish to increase their mastery in this area. The Center’s vocal studies program is designed especially for developing young voices using Broadway repertoire. Our MUSICAL THEATER program provides students of all ages an opportunity to combine their love of singing, dancing and acting and prepare for a year end performance of a musical production.

“The school is about and for kids. Period. When they come through the door at our school, they can come to the center and be themselves,” says Billy Hartung, executive director. “It’s like they say, I have found my people. It’s not about perfection. It’s not about career training. It’s about artistic experiences and growth and celebration.”

Hartung, an alum of the school, went on to play Broadway and appear in film before returning to raise his family in Pittsburgh. He appreciates and supports the center’s nurturing environment.

“I’m not running a theater company. I’m operating a theater school,” he says. “And I think what we share with these kids every chance we get, is the character that you develop in yourself is more important to us than the character you’re playing.”

The kid-focused training is vital to our mission and help kids improve their self-image and self-confidence through artistic expression, he says.

Which brings us to the center’s Special Actors program, which boasts over 100 participants with special needs from age 9 to 86.

“We close our school on Fridays, and we open all the studios, and we have the same teachers and the same resources,” Hartung says. “And we have musical theater classes for children with special needs. Some of those kids have been here for 25 years.”

Thank you for the great coverage KidsburghPgh, KDKA-TV | CBS Pittsburgh, and Kristine Sorensen! Look for us on the Official Pittsburgh Today Live! Enrollment is open now for summer camps and workshops — join us for our CTA summer series!

Click on the Pittsburgh Today Logo to view the story and celebrate, share and enjoy more Great NEWS!!!

 

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High School Musical

Join us this fall for MAMA MIA! – This production is open to all Center students from eighth grade through twelfth grade.

On a small Greek island, Sophie dreams of a perfect wedding — one which includes her father giving her away. The problem? Sophie doesn’t know who he is! Her mother Donna, the former lead singer of the 1970s pop group Donna and the Dynamos, refuses to talk about the past, so Sophie decides to take matters into her own hands. Told through the legendary music of ABBA, Mamma Mia! has become a worldwide sensation that has audiences everywhere dancing.

You MUST be registered for a class at the CTA in order to participate in the Musical. If your schedule is tight this fall, please see our NEW 10 week HIGH SCHOOL SERIES CLASSES in VOICE, DANCE and ACTING. We have something for everyone. The Center for Theater Arts is kicking off its 38th year of high quality instruction!

Make it a year to remember with NEW programs in VOICE, ACTING, DANCE and MUSICAL THEATER at the Center for Theater Arts, where you can grow as a performer and be part of a production. Our quality instructors will lead you in a variety of classes and workshops specially designed to bring out the performer in you.

With a curriculum of more than 80 classes for all ages, we’ve got a little something for everyone, no matter your age or current skill level. Also be sure to check out our new private voice and acting packages!

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CTA 2018 ALL SCHOOL MUSICAL— MARY POPPINS Jr.

Rehearsals are well underway for our CTA All school musical.
The cast of 90 students ages 7-14 confirms that …..It’s a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious way to spend our time together!

We are having a fantastic time and just as we had imagined this show is the Practically Perfect Musical for the CTA in every way!

Performances are scheduled for JUNE 8th and 9th at the BOYCE Middle School Auditorium.

Join us as we prepare for a Jolly Holiday one Spoonful of Sugar at a time! So let’s get ready to step in time and go fly some kites because anything can happen in this great big musical celebration based on one of the most popular Disney movies of all time!

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OH WHAT A NIGHT! THE CTA Reach for a STAR Gala was a huge success!

The STUDENTS once again STOLE THE SHOW! They lifted us up and shared their LOVE of the Center and what it means to them to come to the CTA day after day, week after week, year after year!

Our Patrons Performer JOHN PAUL ALMON did not disappoint and had all in attendance on their feet at the end of his performance. We laughed along with him as he shared his stories of show business, the magic of Santa and Respect he has for ALL of US WHO MAKE THE CTA Possible!

We are so appreciative of the hard work put in by Kirsten Galvin ( The Chair of this years GALA) and her incredible Committee – they are indeed a REMARKABLE CAST!

BRAVO, BRAVA to our Business Sponsors, and families in attendance on this magical night of REACHING FOR THE STARS!

TITLE SPONSORS
Tim Federle
Comfort Supply
Bradley Brown Design Group

PATRONS SPONSOR
The Moore Family
Bob and Tara O’Brien & Tom and Donna Hotopp

SUPERSTAR SPONSORS
iReLaunch
Pediatric Alliance
The Heckler Family
The Walters Family

PRODUCER SPONSORS
David and Lisa Dvorin
Pipitone Group
The Beigi Famly
The Eccher Family
The McQuillan Group
Burns White LLC
Babst Calland
Mt. Lebanon Office Suites

DIRECTOR SPONSORS
The Comber Family
Stenger Bies
Renaissance 3 Architects
Point Park University
Dr. and Mrs. Michael and Lynne Federle
Mayberry Orthodontics
Cupelli and Cupelli Dentistry

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Join all of us at the CTA as we prepare to return to this “BLAST FROM THE PAST” Musical that was a smash at the BOX OFFICE and kept our audiences of ALL AGES talking and singing for month after the final Bow!

This girl loves ghoul rock and roll Off Broadway musical is set in the atomic 1950s at Enrico Fermi High, where the law is laid down by a zany, tyrannical principal. Pretty senior Toffee has fallen for the class bad boy. Family pressure forces her to end the romance, and he charges off on his motorcycle to the nuclear waste dump. He returns glowing and determined to reclaim Toffee’s heart. He still wants to graduate, but most of all he wants to take Toffee to the prom. The principal orders him to drop dead while a scandal reporter seizes on him as the freak du jour. As crisis takes hold of the school, the following questions are raised – Will Toffee take Jonny (spelled without the “h”) back? Will Miss Strict let Jonny come back and finish school, or will she cancel Senior Prom, ruining the most important night in the lives of the students of Enrico Fermi High!?

History comes to his rescue while a tuneful selection of original songs in the style of 50s hits keeps the action rocking across the stage. “Zombie Prom” has been described as “Grease”-meets-“Rocky Horror Picture Show”-meets-1950s-comic-book, and a campy romp through America’s Atomic Age and the golden age of comics. Due to aspects of comic horror and innuendo, “Zombie Prom” may not be appropriate for some children 8 and under.
“A blast…. Slick fun for the whole nuclear family.”

This CTA High School Musical is a rehearsal and performance opportunity that is open to students ages 13 and up! We will meet Mondays from 7-9:30 and Saturdays from 2-5:00pm.

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“Kid-focused training is at the heart of the Center for Theater Arts.” – KidsburghPgh

Check out this article celebrating all that is thriving in excellent theater and performing arts education in the city of Pittsburgh.
We are proud to be entering our 4th decade of high quality arts education and providing great opportunities for kids to learn! Enrollment is open now for summer camps and workshops — join us for our CTA summer series!

To read full article CLICK on KIDSBURGH Logo below — or check us out on Facebook

 

 

CENTER FOR THEATER ARTS

Now in its 38th year, the Center for Theater Arts in the South Hills has a flexible performing arts curriculum of over 80 classes offered to kids from age 4 to 17. The Centers programs are designed specifically students and families who have very busy schedules.

DANCE classes include tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop. ACTING classes include acting for the camera and improvisation, while the “Acting Playground” class explores how voice, body, emotions, and creativity are tools for the craft of acting. Classes in VOICE emphasize skill development and are intended for those students who wish to increase their mastery in this area. The Center’s vocal studies program is designed especially for developing young voices using Broadway repertoire. Our MUSICAL THEATER program provides students of all ages an opportunity to combine their love of singing, dancing and acting and prepare for a year end performance of a musical production.

“The school is about and for kids. Period. When they come through the door at our school, they can come to the center and be themselves,” says Billy Hartung, executive director. “It’s like they say, I have found my people. It’s not about perfection. It’s not about career training. It’s about artistic experiences and growth and celebration.”

Hartung, an alum of the school, went on to play Broadway and appear in film before returning to raise his family in Pittsburgh. He appreciates and supports the center’s nurturing environment.

“I’m not running a theater company. I’m operating a theater school,” he says. “And I think what we share with these kids every chance we get, is the character that you develop in yourself is more important to us than the character you’re playing.”

The kid-focused training is vital to our mission and help kids improve their self-image and self-confidence through artistic expression, he says.

Which brings us to the center’s Special Actors program, which boasts over 100 participants with special needs from age 9 to 86.

“We close our school on Fridays, and we open all the studios, and we have the same teachers and the same resources,” Hartung says. “And we have musical theater classes for children with special needs. Some of those kids have been here for 25 years.”

Thank you for the great coverage KidsburghPgh, KDKA-TV | CBS Pittsburgh, and Kristine Sorensen! Look for us on the Official Pittsburgh Today Live! Enrollment is open now for summer camps and workshops — join us for our CTA summer series!

Click on the Pittsburgh Today Logo to view the story and celebrate, share and enjoy more Great NEWS!!!

 

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VOICE – Classes in voice emphasize skill development and are intended for those students who wish to increase their mastery in this area. The Center’s vocal studies program is designed especially for developing young voices using Broadway repertoire. This class culminates in a spring Vocal concert with solo performances. Voice Classes meet once a week and new students will be assigned to a class time.

Current students have received their voice placement and should refer to their year end evaluation. In an effort to reserve your spot in class you must call the CTA to reserve you spot for our fall semester.

NEW this FALL — PRIVATE VOCAL PACKAGES — (4, 6, or 8 week – 30 minute sessions/$45.00 per 1/2 hour )
Enjoy studying ONE on ONE with an experienced and certified VOCAL INSTRUCTOR.
enjoy access to over 145 Broadway scores and our NEW Vocal Studio
Call for schedule time in the studio – 4, 6 and 8 week packages are available

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Center for Theater Arts kicks off its 38th year of high quality performing arts instruction with a new VOICE studio, a new VOICE library boasting over 140 scores and PROUDLY welcomes the assembly of an incredibly dynamic vocal team to our roster of vocal educators.

We encourage you to call the CTA and let us hear Your VOICE. Come and SING with us! We are so PROUD of WHAT we do and WHY we do it …. BUT it’s the HOW we do it that has the kids at the CENTER singing their hearts out!

“Explore your love of music as you follow a path to mastery in Voice in a program designed especially for developing young voices. Through Broadway and Disney vocal selections, you’ll be introduced to vocal technique, music theory and solfeggio in a warm, nurturing environment that emphasizes the fun and joy of learning. As you prepare for our spring Vocal concert, you’ll gain the confidence and self-awareness to let your own beautiful Voice ring out.”

CTA VOCAL TEAM:
Lisa Marinacci (BHA Carnegie Mellon University – Drama, Music and Creative Writing, MAPW Masters in Professional Writing Carnegie Mellon University) recently returned home to Pittsburgh after performing, writing and producing in NYC, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. She began working professionally at age 5 in role of Gretel in the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera’s production of The Sound Of Music . While living in NYC, Lisa traveled back and forth to Pittsburgh to co-produce her first album with Joe Negri titled “Waiting For Spring.” She went on to co-produce Snoopy, The Musical!!! in Hollywood, CA, also appearing as Peppermint Patty. Lisa is ecstatic to be teaching at The Center – a place that always did and still feels like home.

Thespina Christulides (Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music with an Outside Area in Opera and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Otterbein University) is a classically trained soprano with broad involvement as a professional musician, performer, and educator. Having six years of experience teaching private voice, she recently joined the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University as adjunct faculty. She is highly sought by many high schools and organizations to assist their musical and choral programs by serving as a guest conductor, vocal coach, clinician, audition adjudicator, and section leader. Ms. Christulides holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music with an Outside Area in Opera and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Otterbein University.

Jessica Mariotti Tomsic (B.M., M.M. West Virginia University)Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, is a classically trained lyric coloratura soprano, having earned a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Vocal Performance from West Virginia University. She has performed professionally in many genres of music, from classical to Christian contemporary, musical theater to gospel, across the United States and in different venues in Europe. Many of her students have gone on to pursue singing as a career. She loves teaching at The CTA and helping students grow on their creative path!

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4 Powerhouse Performances from a cast of CTA students that left the audience wanting more!!!

WOW …The Energy was infectious …Non-Stop Fun from beginning to end.

A Wonderful Show! Thank you so much CTA!

The Leader of the Pack  – a show that had me dancing in my seat from beginning to end!

I loved the Show – So many talented kids! Fabulous Job CTA, As usual!!

The Show was awesome and my daughter had a great time throughout rehearsals and performance. Such a wonderful experience!!  

We are so proud of the cast of Leader of the Pack! You worked so hard, tried new things, took great risks and sang your hearts out!! We hope your child is proud of their accomplishments.

We are confident they enjoyed this rehearsal and performance  process as much as we all did here at the Center.  In fact, I would imagine that some of you can’t get many of the songs out of your head!  Thank you again for the privilege of working with your children, they never cease to amaze us!

Leader of the Pack photo credit: Jacob Malizio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Jukebox Hit Broadway musical is a retrospective that celebrates the life and times of Ellie Greenwich, whose doo wop sounds skyrocketed to the top of the sixties charts. The story of Ellie’s rise to fame and fortune is punctuated with the virtual Hit Parade of her music: “Chapel of Love,” “Da Do Ron Ron,” “Be My Baby,” “Hanky Panky,” Do Wah Diddy,” “And Then He Kissed Me” and, of course, the title song “Leader of the Pack.”

“A happy, high spirited, foot stomping romp. I never realized the songs of the sixties could sound so good.” – WNBC Radio

“The show dances with that up tempo “wall of sound’ that was part of all our lives.” – Hollywood Reporter

 

 

 

 

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Dazzling  – Exciting – Amazing – Contagious – Exhilarating!

These are just some of the word used to describe the CTA High School Production of FOOTLOOSE over the weekend — and this was during Intermission!!!

The creative team involved at the Center shared that….. It was thrilling watching the show come to life in the studios at the CTA!!!

Congratulations!!!!   — Everybody …and I mean everybody in the audience and also on the stage CUTLOOSE during the four performances and it was an absolute BLAST!!!

Over 80 High School students from 6 different school districts in the Pittsburgh area flocked to the studios at the Center for Theater Arts and they “cut loose”!!!

The CTA was dancing again in one of the most energetic and exciting rehearsal processes we have seen in a long time! It is a very dynamic time to be in rehearsals for one of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory to bursts onto the live stage with exhilarating results.

It so important to take a moment and tell you how proud we are of our cast and the work that they did on this production. We have been challenging and encouraging them to take risks, push themselves to the next level and of course  -work together as an ensemble.   As BOTH of our Casts prepared to take the stage, they worked together like a road company. All rehearsals were conducted outside of the theater with only two rehearsals on location before our first performance. This is difficult even for the experienced professionals. Our students, the tech crew and staff should be commended for their patience, talents and hard work in making it to opening night on stage!

Special thanks go to all of the staff and faculty at the Center for work above and beyond the call of duty.  The amazing amount of energy, commitment, creativity, time and talent that the teachers put into creating this performance is a tribute to their dedication to the Center for Theater Arts and its students.  The students and I applaud them!

As an Original Broadway Cast member I was overjoyed with the opportunity to stage, and share my love and excitement for this incredibly entertaining musical with the students at CTA, and celebrate the history and stories behind creating and working on FOOTLOOSE – from the page to the stage!!

It’s been almost 20 years since the show was created for the Broadway stage, and I would like to thank everyone at CTA for taking this footloose and fancy free trip down memory lane with me.  It takes more than a memory and a rehearsal space to put a musical together – and this time we have committed to not one – but TWO wonderful casts!! I thank everyone for their effort, patience, commitment and talents! I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say…we hoped FOOTLOOSE was flashy, innocent, dazzling, energetic and a wonderful night out with your family!
Congratulations!!!
– Billy Hartung      

 

FOOTLOOSE was presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals: www.rnh.com.

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OUR MISSION

The Center for Theater Arts is dedicated to offering the highest quality performing arts instruction and committed to providing all students, including those with special needs, opportunities to improve their self-image and self-confidence through artistic expression.