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The Chicago Academy for the Arts

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Pat Rusk in American Theatre Magazine
January 10, 2019
Musical Theatre, Press
Tim Butler
Pat Rusk in American Theatre Magazine
Tim Butler
January 10, 2019
Musical Theatre, Press

Pat Rusk in American Theatre Magazine

Tim Butler
January 10, 2019
Musical Theatre, Press

"My students are my motivation. They challenge me, and they love it when I challenge them. I learn from them every day.”

Check out Musical Theatre Chair Emeritus Pat Rusk in American Theatre Magazine! Click here.

Tagged: Musical Theatre

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The Chicago Academy for the Arts, 1010 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60642312.421.0202

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Mix at Six at @harristheaterchicago Pt. 4 Photos by Kyle Flubacker #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
Mix at Six at @harristheaterchicago Pt. 3 Photos by Kyle Flubacker #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
More from Mix at Six at @harristheaterchicago ! Photos by Kyle Flubacker. #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMattes #CAArts
Check out a few photos from the Dance Department's May "Mix at Six" performance at Harris Theater! The Dance Department was also joined by the Music Department, which provided a live performance for the Brian Brooks piece "In the Midst". Photos by Kyle Flubacker (stay tuned for more photos from Thomas Mohr Photography). #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
The Academy is scheduling auditions for Young Men's Dance Initiative scholarships! Please contact Director of Enrollment Management Kitsana Salyphone for more information. ICYMI: Each year, The Academy identifies three elite-level freshman male dancers to receive the Rusty and Jeffrey Sanfilippo Young Men's Dance Initiative scholarship. Selected dancers will receive tuition assistance for up to the entire cost of tuition. The Academy aims not only to recruit, support, and train young men with significant dance potential, but to serve the dance community at large. Proper ballet programs need male dancers, and any serious dance program has a ballet component. We are excited and inspired about the Young Men’s Dance Initiative, and that through it The Academy can help guide more young male dancers into higher education and careers in the art form—in Chicago’s celebrated dance community and beyond. #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
The Chicago Academy for the Arts is currently recruiting young male actors for its theatre and musical theatre ensembles! Significant tuition assistance consideration is available for those who qualify! Please contact the Admissions Office for more information. #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
A few photos from last week's masterclass with photographer Barbara Karant and the Media and Visual Arts Departments! #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
Transfer students! The Chicago Academy for the Arts is accepting applications for second semester enrollment on January 7, 2020, as well as transfer applications for students entering into the 10th and 11th grades in the fall of 2020. #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
The Musical Theatre Department's fall production of "The Pirates of Penzance" begins next week! The Musical Theatre Department takes on Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic operetta The Pirates of Penzance (Or, The Slave of Duty). A shipload of polite pirates, a patter-spattering Major General, a bevy of mountain-climbing daughters, and a terrified police battalion come together in Gilbert and Sullivan's topsy turvy world where reverence for beloved Queen Victoria trumps everything. A glorious score augments this irreverent satire of Victorian England, one of the oldest shows claimed by the musical theatre canon. #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
Dear Friends, Few things make me prouder to be a part of the Academy family than our annual AIDS Benefit. Founded by alum Justin Tranter more than two decades ago, the AIDS Benefit has been student-run ever since: passed down from director to assistant director in an unbroken chain since its founding. It’s one of our most important traditions — a “homecoming” of sorts for a community that, instead of sports and dances, celebrates the power of the arts to create community, bring joy, and change lives. This year, director Grania McKirdie (Theatre, ’20) and her team attracted the attention of news organizations across the city (including @wgntv , @blockclubchi , The Beverly Review, and WBBM Newsradio). And, mayor Lori Lightfoot sent Grania and her team a letter of commendation and best wishes. The attention was well deserved, not only because the purpose of the event, but of the excellent work it showcased. From Isaiah Day’s beautiful tribute to Mary Caraway (set to the music of Academy alumni parent Donnie Hathaway!), to the perennial inclusion of the hilarious “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” and “Cell Block Tango,” to the pieces showcasing students’ virtuosity, to the pieces showcasing students taking on challenges outside of their major, the performance represented excellence as deeply as the event represented purpose. On behalf of the entire community, I congratulate all involved in another successful AIDS Benefit. Terrific work, friends. Jason Patera Head of School #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts Photos by @thomasmohrphotography
Alumni Spotlight! Check out what our alums have been up to over the past couple of weeks. Akenya Seymour (Music ‘10) recently rocked Thalia Hall in a special ‘In the Round’ performance opening for Saul Williams. Kimberly Jones (Musical Theatre ‘94) made a stop in Atlanta as she promotes her critically acclaimed novel “I’m Not Dying With You Tonight”. Catch Kimberly at the 16th Annual YA Literature Conference in Naperville on Saturday, October 19th at 8 a.m. Join us in congratulating Ann Sanders (Musical Theatre ‘88) for her new role as “Cynthia Murphy” in “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway. Ann has previously performed in Broadway productions such as “If/Then”, “Leap of Faith”, “Avenue Q”, “The King and I”, and “Beauty and the Beast”. Check out the recent articles about job hunting in Forbes written by alum Chris Westfall (Theatre ‘84). In addition to writing seven books about the subject, Chris speaks to colleges and Fortune 500 companies around the world about leadership in business. Over the summer, former Academy dancer Leyna Bloom became the first transgender woman of color to star in a movie that premiered at Cannes Film Festival with her role as “Wye” in “Port Authority”. Leyna told Variety that her role in this Martin Scorcese-produced film “is the moment that [she’s] dreamed about”. Brittany Mack (Musical Theatre ‘07) will reprise her role as Henry VIII’s fourth wife, “Anne of Cleves”, in the hit musical “SIX” as it heads to Broadway early next year. Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s production earlier this summer has been nominated for several Jeff Awards, including “Best Ensemble - Musical”. Catch Olivia Renteria (Musical Theatre ‘14) making her way across the U.S. as part of the ensemble in the first national tour of the Broadway hit “Mean Girls”. You can see her for the next two weeks performing in Minneapolis. Patrick Stratton (Music, 2008), who performs as Stratus, has had an impressive summer. Not only did he perform at Chicago’s own North Coast Music Festival and release a new single, but his song “Once Again” was featured in HBO’s hit show “Euphoria”.
Get your tickets for the Theatre Department Fall Play! Join us November 8, 9, and 10 at The Academy for "Everybody". Based on the 15th-century Morality play, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ 2018 Pulitzer Prize Finalist "Everybody" offers a playful and colloquial examination of the human condition in the face of Mortality. Featuring a different cast configuration for each performance, The Chicago Academy for the Arts Theatre Department will undertake an ambitious and challenging work audiences will want to see more than once. #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
Each year, The Academy identifies three elite-level freshman male dancers to receive the Rusty and Jeffrey Sanfilippo Young Men's Dance Initiative scholarship. Selected dancers will receive tuition assistance for up to the entire cost of tuition. The Academy aims not only to recruit, support, and train young men with significant dance potential, but to serve the dance community at large. Proper ballet programs need male dancers, and any serious dance program has a ballet component. We are excited and inspired about the Young Men’s Dance Initiative, and that through it The Academy can help guide more young male dancers into higher education and careers in the art form—in Chicago’s celebrated dance community and beyond. The Academy is scheduling auditions for the 2020-2021 freshman class now! Please contact Director of Enrollment Management Kitsana Salyphone for more information! #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
The Math, Science, and Technology Department becomes Anthony Pinto! #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts
Join the Music Department on October 8 for their first event of the year, the Classical & Jazz Concert Series Opening Night! #SmartArtistsSmartArt #ArtMatters #CAArts