VCU is such a large school with many domains of study; therefore, the breadth of professors never fails to impress. Typically professors continue to work in their own fields while teaching, often garnering remarkable accolades and experiences. Especially in the arts, an artist never stops working to improve his or her craft. The TheatreVCU faculty comes from all over the country to teach young actors, designers, stage managers, and technicians how to create extraordinary and meaningful art.
On July 16, Amazing Grace opened at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway. The musical tells the story behind the historic and popular hymn "Amazing Grace," following its composer John Newton as he falls in love and discovers his true self during the height of slavery. It is a brand new musical making its Broadway premier after an out-of-town run in Chicago.
In addition to a star-studded cast, the creative team features two VCU faculty members and one former MFA Performance Pedagogy Student.
David Leong (former department chair and current professor) choreographed the fight and military movement for the show. Toni-Lesli James is an associate professor for TheatreVCU and serves as the head of design. James, a past Tony nominee, designed the spectacular period costumes. Brad Willcuts, who recently graduated from VCU with an MFA in Movement Pedagogy, served as Assistant Fight Director for the production.
In 2013 and early this summer, David Leong utilized VCU students to workshop fight choreography for the musical. He invited current VCU theatre students to participate in workshops that allowed him to see how his choreography worked with actual moving bodies. In addition to helping David, and in turn the whole production, the workshops also provided wonderful learning and resume-building opportunities for students.
You can visit the musical's website here for ticket information, press, cast biographies, and more videos and pictures from the show. Amazing Grace brings a unique, and often unknown, story to Broadway, perfectly contrasting many of the huge, commercial musicals that consistently grace the Great White Way. It is truly amazing to see TheatreVCU faculty and students carry such weight in this beautifully groundbreaking production. With a population of talented students and a superb faculty, TheatreVCU provides extraordinary opportunities, while continuing its involvement in theatre around the world.
