Author Archives: lsegel

Theatre Company of Saugus will host a series of Workshops on Theatre Skills during the summer of 2014.  Our first planned workshop is a masterclass on Healthy Singing in Musical Theatre. On Tuesday 29 July 2014 starting at 7:30 PM.  The location is the East Saugus United Methodist Church / 85 Chestnut Street / Saugus, Massachusetts.  (See our Directions page.)  This workshop is presented by Lori L’Italien.

The masterclass will focus on the most important aspects of singing in musical theatre, including breath, posture, placement and head-voice, all of which are the necessary tools to develop a healthy, strong belt.  Participants will work through several physical and breath exercises, exploring the concept of abdominal breathing verses clavicular.  All participants will discuss and explore vocal exercises that will encourage a well-placed head voice that demonstrates the unification of the vowels.  Using these elements participants will explore healthy belting by using and practicing “the call”.  Participants will receive a packet of warm-ups and vocal exercises geared toward developing and maintaining a healthy belt.

Lori L’Italien holds a Bachelors of Music Education in Voice and Master of Music in Opera  Performance. She is on staff at Lasell College where she teaches voice, music fundamentals, and musical theatre classes, in addition to serving as Director of Choirs and both stage and music director of Lasell’s musicals.  Lori owns and operates a busy private voice studio in both West Newton and Somerville.  She also serves as Boston Program Administrator for The Metropolitan Opera Guild’s Urban Voices Program, a program that brings vocal and choral instruction to students in disadvantaged neighborhoods in and around Boston.

L’Italien is, in her own right, a versatile, sought-after performer of musical theater, opera, and oratorio throughout Boston and northern New England.  Most recently, she appeared as Betty White in White Christmas with Weston Friendly Society, Fantine in Les Miserables with Woodland Theatre Company, and created the role of Catherine Eddowes in the World Premeire of Jack the Ripper: the Whitechapel Musical.  Other favorite roles include the Homeless Lady in A New Brain with Moonbox Productions, Adelaide in Guys & Dolls, Sally Bowles in Cabaret with Theatre Company of Saugus, and Lucille Frank in Fudge Theatre Company’s production of Parade, for which she earned a nomination as Best Actress in a Musical from the IRNE (Independent Reviewers of New England.)  My Entertainment World raved that she was,”The true star in this performance; she is breathtaking in every moment…she has everything of a star performer.  L’Italien’s singing is simply stunning, and, late in the first act, I started counting my goose-bumps…Take note: L’Italien is more than worth the price of admission.”  Lori can currently been seen as Gabby/Bobbi in City of Angles with FUDGE Theatre Company playing at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown playing July 11–19, 2014.  See LoriLItalien.com for more studio and performance news.

The fee to attend the workshop is $5, payable with cash or check at the door.  Four additional workshops are planned.  If you attend all five workshops, you will only be charged for four, a total of $20.

The Theatre Company of Saugus presents its fourth annual summer Youth Theatre Workshop 2014.  A place where imaginations can learn and grow!  Back by popular demand.

The show we will present this summer is Into the Woods Jr.

July 14-18 and 21-25, 2014.  Sessions run from 9 AM until 4 PM Monday through Thursday.  We will start at 12:00 noon on Fridays.  The workshop ends with performances of the junior version of this popular Sondheim musical show.  The performances are on Friday, July 25 at 7 PM, and on Saturday, July 26 at 2 PM and 7 PM.

There was already meeting for all parents and an audition for all youth who will participate in the workshop. We wanted to get scripts out to the kids earlier, because it is a longer show.  It is not too late to sign up for the workshop, in fact we would like to have a bunch more kids.  Please Contact us, so we can get you signed up and give you a script.

The location of both weeks and of the performances will be at Cliftondale Congregational Church (CCC).  In Saugus, Massachusetts.  Please see our Directions page.

Most of our teachers are returning this year and are ready to lead you through our awesome show-making process:  Musical/Vocal coach:  Shawn Gelzleichter.  Dance coach:  Amanda Allen.  Acting coach:  Britt Mitchell.  Technical Theater coach:  Jen Gelzleichter.

The fee is $400 per youth.   (Ask about the multiple-child discount.)  (If you had registered by July 1, 2014 you could have paid pay only $350.)

For more info on fees or the curriculum, email us at TCSaugus@gmail.com or call us at 781-816-7019.

If you want to find out more and have us send you a registration packet, click here for the Request form.

Click here for the flyer.

If you are ready to sign up, click here for the Registration form.

(The initial meeting was on Wednesday 2 July 2014, starting at 7:00 PM.  The location of this meeting was the East Saugus United Methodist Church  /  85 Chestnut Street  /  Saugus, Massachusetts 01906.  This is a different location than where the workshop will be during July 14 thru 26.  You can bring your registration forms and tuition checks with you to the meeting.)