MacPhail Music for Life™

MacPhail on Madeline Island: Musical Theater Retreat (55+)

Date: Tue Aug 01 2023

Time: 1:30 PM

Location: MacPhail on Madeline Island

Retreat rates are available with or without housing/meals to accommodate local residents.

Financial Aid is available. Please allow ample time if applying for assistance.

Deadline to register is July 21, 2023.

If you love Broadway and desire an up-close look behind the velvet curtain at how performers work to create the magic of musical theater, then this immersive retreat is for YOU! 

Students will learn through watching their mentors in an open rehearsal, as well as participating in vocal masterclasses and ensemble rehearsals that will focus on how to be a more effective musical theater performer.  Teaching will focus both on vocal technique as well as dramatic delivery.

Participants should have previous performance experience singing and/or acting either as a solo artist or a member of an ensemble.

PDFs of music to be covered, as well as a playlist, will be sent ahead of time for individual preparation.  Participants are also encouraged (but not required) to prepare and bring a solo they would like to workshop during the vocal masterclass sessions.

Schedule

Schedule Descriptions

Breakfast

A hearty breakfast will awaken your senses and provide fuel for the day!  Enjoy the many hot options our chef prepares, or choose from a continental selection of cereals, fruit, etc.

Rise & Shine Warmups

This time of vocal and physical warmups is designed to give you the tools to start the day in tip-top shape!  Gentle stretching awakens and primes the body for movement in acting and dramatology exercises in the afternoon sessions. Vocal warmups loosen and relax the voice to prevent injury, allow the vocal range to extend and expand, and provide more consistency in performance.  

Ensemble Singing

Whether it’s a small ensemble, or a chorus number from a show – we’ll work together in groups to recreate a musical number incorporating dramaturgy and gesticulation to create semi-staged piece that will be presented as part of our final “Share-formance”.   

Lunch

Grab a bagged lunch that is provided and take some time to explore the island, or head to town to dine in one of the local establishments and peruse the shops.

Vocal Masterclass

Focusing on solo repertoire, participants will have the opportunity to receive feedback from instructors and learn from fellow students in a supportive, non-threatening environment.  Be prepared for laughter and fun as we push the envelope exploring singing and vocal delivery, incorporating physical movement and gesture, and adding dramatic preparation and emotional interpretation to deliver a memorable performance that will convey the meaning of the music through integrated performance practice.

Unwrapping Music

Peek behind the velvet curtain as we explore topics in Music Theater.  We’ll take a closer look at composers and lyricists who contributed to the evolution of this art form, as well as the music itself to see the genius craftwork and composition that has enamored audiences of many eras.  The material we cover will help contribute to the overall understanding of the artform, thereby enhancing the performances of participants.

Dinner

A long dinner break allows participants to have free time to explore the island – whether it’s a hike in nature or meandering around town.  Our chef will prepare a tasty evening meal at the center, and the outdoor tent on the grounds allows for al fresco dining.

Open Rehearsal

Watch our teaching artists in action as they rehearse for the evening’s opening performance.  This opportunity provides a glimpse of the collaboration that happens as professionals prepare their programs and gives you a brief introduction to the teachers in their role as performers.

Music Theater Trivia

We’ll provide the popcorn, but participants will need to provide the answers as part of a friendly challenge testing their musical theater savvy.  Random belting out of showtunes is encouraged, and prizes will be awarded!

Bonfire Broadway Sing Along & Karaoke Contest

Gathering around the fire, this will be anything but the typical campfire sing-along.  Join in singing some of your favorite showtunes (lyrics provided) and take a turn singing one of your favorites for a chance to win a prize in our karaoke contest.  Did we mention there will be s’mores?

Share-formance

For our culminating event, we will present a program of solo and ensemble semi-staged pieces in an informal presentation to a live (and streaming?) audience, sharing the work that we’ve done during the course of the institute.  

Retreat Faculty

Joey Clark is a musical theater and cabaret performer, musical director/conductor, theatrical director and teaching artist. His work has been seen on the stages of The McCarter Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Nautilus Music Theatre, Bloomington Civic Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Theatre Mu, Skylark Opera, Frank Theater, Theatre Latte Da, the Ordway, and MacPhail’s Antonello Hall.  Joey’s cabaret work began at NYC’s infamous Duplex Cabaret Bar, and he has since gone on to direct, musical direct, and perform in over 100 cabarets. He is a member of the Twin Cities Cabaret Artists Network (TCCAN). 

As an educator, Joey served as developer and department chair of Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists’ (SPCPA) musical theatre program and taught at The Children’s Theatre Company.  He currently teaches a wide variety of classes, leads choruses, and produces cabarets at senior residences through his partnerships with MacPhail Music For Life™ and The History Theatre. 

In 2022, Joey became the leader of the St. Paul Giving Voice Chorus for people living with dementia and their care partners.  Joey has a passion for creating inter-generational arts experiences, recently developing and directed “Holding On: Unexpected Stories from WWII” based on interviews with WWII veterans with a cast ranging from 9-92 years old, produced by Hero Now Theatre in Antonello Hall.

Andrea Leap has taught voice at MacPhail since 2005. Instructing musically advanced high school students and adults, she brings 20 years experience to Group, Individual Instruction, and MacPhail Music for Life™. Tailoring instruction to meet the individual’s goals, Andrea teaches anatomically based, sustainable vocal technique that works in any repertoire.

Andrea has performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Schubert Club, Minnesota Bach Society, Lyra Baroque, Jungle Theater, Troupe America, Nautilus Music-Theater, Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Michigan Opera, Toledo Opera, Skylark Opera, Duluth Festival Opera, Red Eye Theater, Light Opera Oklahoma, LOOK Musical Theater, SummerStage Tulsa, and Minnesota Historical Society.

She is the recipient of the Jerome Foundation Emerging Artist Award, the Harriet Hale Wooley Scholarship for study in Paris, France, where she created and performed cabaret concerts performed in the US and abroad. She is the recipient of Artist Initiative Grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board for 2017, 2019 and 2021. Currently she is working on a project creating new piano-vocal editions of music composed by Marianna Martinez.

She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University (Voice), a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University (French), a Masters of Music from University of Michigan (Voice), and matriculated post-graduate studies in France and Austria.

Jerry Rubino was appointed music director of Voices of Experience in 2011 and serves on the MacPhail faculty in the voice and piano departments.  He holds degrees in piano, voice, music education and conducting from Temple University and the University of Minnesota, and has taught at Northwestern, Augsburg and Carleton Colleges.  A native of Philadelphia, he attended Curtis Institute as a cellist.  He currently serves as Minister of Music at Spirit of Hope United Methodist Church in Golden Valley, Minnesota and is a staff conductor and professional singer with the Minnesota Chorale.  Rubino worked for twenty-three seasons with the Dale Warland Singers as associate conductor, director of special projects and music education, pianist, singer, and arranger.  His credits include honors choirs in Australia, Taiwan, Hawaii, and Europe, and he is series editor and workshop presenter for Oxford University Press and the Hal Leonard Corporation. 

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