AMERICAN SINGER SEMINAR™ - MASTERCLASS SERIES with Douglas Webster

Sept. 25 – Oct. 2, 2010 at LAKEWOOD CENTER FOR THE ARTS 368 S. State Street, Lake Oswego, OR 97034

Auditions: Monday, September 20th, 5pm - 8pm Auditions may be scheduled in advance by calling Lakewood’s box office at 503-635-3901 Walk-ins will be heard on a space available basis. Please prepare a song in the correct key for your voice. An accompanist will be provided.

Class Schedule: Saturday, September 25th, 10am - 3pm - Masterclass Monday, September 27th, 4pm - 9pm (Individual half-hour sessions with Mr. Webster) Saturday, October 2nd, 10am - 3pm - Masterclass Saturday, October 2nd, 4pm - Showcase performance at Lakewood Theatre

Overview: A masterclass and seminar for students who are interested in studying voice in college or pursuing a profes- sional career in singing. His offering is specifically for High School Juniors and Seniors who intend to audition for University or Conservatory Music programs. The masterclasses (two sessions) will focus on the presentation of material, technical issues and interpretation. As an equal part to the practical work there will be discussions about preparing for auditions, researching and finding the right program. Mr. Webster is a former professor of voice, director of opera and Broadway artist.

Topics will include: • Vocal Health and care for the instrument (voice) • Understanding of the voice and how it works • Guidelines for what to do when the voice doesn't work • Exercises for strength and range development • Audition repertoire and the assembly of an "Audition Book" • Audition techniques and practice for musical theater, opera and academic auditions • Song as monologue • Definition of artistic goals for college and career

Auditors welcome. Younger students, voice teachers and especially, parents are encouraged to audit these classes. Enrollment will be limited to TEN participants. Auditors will be limited only by space available.

FEE: * $375 For participants (this includes follow-up communication and materials review) * $20 for auditors PER session (two sessions)

The class will be lead by Douglas Webster

Pianist: TBA ... more DOUGLAS WEBSTER is a performing teacher, director and producer. Locally, he is winner of the 2009 Drammy Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Les Misérables, Broadway Rose). Winner of the New York Joy In Singing and Concert Artists Guild Awards, he has performed as soloist with orchestra and in recital across forty- six states in venues including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, the Metropolitan Opera, on PBS, NPR and on Broadway. His recordings include classical and popular music CDs for Koch, New World, Yamaha, Kultur Video and the Grammy™ Nominated Disney Spectacular for Telarc. Mr. Webster made his debut singing the Celebrant in Leonard Bernstein’s epic theater piece, MASS. He has since led twenty productions, including the premiere at Carnegie Hall, Dallas, Portland, Eugene, , Spain, Latvia, Lithuania and The Vatican. As an educator, he has served on the faculties at the University of Oregon (Director of Opera), University of Memphis, and the summer programs for SUNY-Stony Brook and Colorado State University-Pueblo. He has been a guest teacher/clinician for university programs including: The Royal Conservatory in Toronto, The National Con- servatory of Latvia, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and Colorado State University - Ft. Collins, pre- sented by the College Music Society as a key-note speaker and clinician. He holds degrees from Northwestern University and Indiana University, from which he received the Singing Hoosier Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005. His studies also include: The Banff Centre School of the Arts, Aspen School of Music, Santa Fe Opera and the Centre International de Formation Musicale (Nice, France). Douglas Webster currently lives in Portland with his wife, cellist and composer, Elizabeth Byrd.

AMERICAN SINGER SEMINARS™ - Created to provide specific training for musical theater performers, the AMERICAN SINGER - MUSICAL THEATER INTENSIVE™ is a two-week program that brings perform- ing artist / teachers together with aspiring young performers. Participants are paired with a team-mate who is working on similar technical issues or is in the same stage of their craft development. The daily program in- cludes classes in Singing, Acting, Dance for the Singing Actor and private voice coaching. During the week, a seminar titled, "Life of a New York Actor" is presented by a casting director from New York. The program closes with AMERICAN SINGER in CONCERT - a review of material worked on in class that 'kiln fires' con- cepts in the heat of performance.

Since 1999 participants have been coming to Breckenridge, Colorado to study, commune and perform with some of the country's best teaching artists. The AMERICAN SINGER - MASTERCLASSES™ bring a con- densed version of the program to a smaller group of participants. The AS Masterclasses serve to illuminate con- cepts, identify specific technical issues and give direction for future study. The AS Masterclasses also provide a nurturing, supportive and positive environment in which participants may feel confident that their work in class is not judged as a final product, but encouraged as a process. Alumni of the AMERICAN SINGER are currently working on Broadway, London's West End and in Regional Theater across the United States. Alumni are also teaching in University, High School and Conservatory programs.

"I still carry his masterclass notes in my Book." - Sierra Boggess (Christine, LOVE NEVER DIES, London; Ariel, THE LITTLE MERMAID, Broadway)

"I learned more in one week than I did in four years of college." - Heath Calvert (HAIR, Broadway; GOOD VIBRATIONS, Broadway; BROADWAY'S LEADING MEN, Symphony Concerts)

"He's got it all; the highs, the lows, the 'look' the croon." - Leonard Bernstein