Mayo Center teens to appear with Broadway stars in White House TV special, Thanksgiving night

Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, left, sings with teenager Rachel Levy of the Mayo Center's education program, on TLC special to air on Thanksgiving 2015.
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Video: MPAC’s Rachel Levy sings with Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth

By Kevin Coughlin

After you’ve had your fill of football on Thanksgiving, channel-surf to TLC and catch some rising stars from our own backyard.

Six teens from the Mayo Performing Arts Center’s education program will appear at 8 pm in Broadway at the White House, taped last week at — where else? — 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in the nation’s capital.

Teens from the Mayo Center's education program at the White House, November 2015. Photo courtesy of MPAC.
Teens from the Mayo Center’s education program at the White House, November 2015. Photo courtesy of MPAC.

“It was insane!” said Amanda Fletcher, a senior at Hanover Park High School, who danced with First Lady Michelle Obama and mingled with a slew of stars.

Whoopi Goldberg, Gloria Estefan, Christian Borle, Cicely Tyson and Andrew Lloyd Webber were among the artists who appeared at the day-long symposium.

Master classes were taped for Thursday’s broadcast, along with performances featuring music from Finding Neverland, Fun Home, An American in Paris, On Your Feet!, School of Rock and Something Rotten.

Fletcher’s MPAC friend, Rachel Levy of Towaco, sang For Good with former Wicked star Kristin Chenoweth (see video clip above), to a standing ovation led by the First Lady.

Samantha Alexander of Mendham sang an original song for Stephen Schwartz, who composed scores for Wicked, Pippin and Godspell.

“I was so proud of all of them,” said Cathy Roy, who runs MPAC’s education program in Morristown. Rounding out her group were Justin Chimoff of Morris Plains, Christian Harvey of Randolph, and Brittaney Duhaney of Parsippany.

Director Cathy Roy with Amanda Fletcher, teen star of 'Hairspray' at the Mayo Center. Photo by Scott Schlosser
Director Cathy Roy with Amanda Fletcher, teen star of ‘Hairspray’ at the Mayo Center in 2014. Photo by Scott Schlosser

They were invited, Roy said, because a producer of the TV special was impressed by MPAC’s production of Hairspraystarring Fletcher.

“I always tell them, you never know who’s watching you, so work your hardest all the time. They were so polished, so professional, so together. But they give that same energy and passion when they’re performing at a nursing home or fundraising walk,” Roy said.

Teenagers from public schools and after-school programs in D.C., Virginia, West Virginia and California also participated.

Students from MPAC attend master class at the White House, for a TLC special. Photo courtesy of MPAC. nov 2015
Students from MPAC attend master class at the White House, for a TLC special. Photo courtesy of MPAC.

At lunch, Fletcher sat with Schwartz, the famous composer, and Matthew Morrison (Finding Neverland, Glee). Morrison co-hosted the show with Chenoweth, who had invited some of the Mayo Center kids onstage with her in Morristown when she played there in September. 

Fletcher also rehearsed a conga routine that was joined by Michelle Obama (“she’s so chill and down to earth!”) and took a master class with Gloria Estefan, whose life is the subject of On Your Feet!

Estefan did some singing, which surprised Fletcher because “she’s not really performing anymore. I was amazed at how good she was.”

Fletcher marveled at the entertainers’ humility.

“These people made it so big in the business, and they’re still so humble, giving back to the community,” she said.

A piece of advice from Whoopi Goldberg stuck with Fletcher:

“If you’re in it to be a star, you’re in the wrong field,” Goldberg told the students. “Stars happen by accident.”

Students from Morristown's Mayo Performing Arts Center in the White House. Photo courtesy of MPAC.
Students from Morristown’s Mayo Performing Arts Center in the White House. Photo courtesy of MPAC.

 

 

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