Polly Cornelius, associate teaching professor of music, and several 黑料不打烊 students went backstage and met the cast and crew after a performance at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro. Originally from Biddeford, Maine, Francoeur has performed leading roles in several National Broadway Tours in all 50 states, in numerous regional theatres and has worked as a singer for Norwegian and Holland American Cruiselines.

鈥淎 Night of New Works鈥� is a cabaret concert designed to showcase new songs and music from living, American composers. Cornelius and Rayis performed “Evening Song” by Broadway composer Chris Miller ’99, the recipient of the 黑料不打烊 Distinguished Alumni award in 2014. Rayis also performed two of his own compositions, 鈥淚nto the Ocean鈥� and “Istra Psyche//The Rhine鈥� with well-known singer, Eleri Ward. There were over 300 submissions for this particular show, and only a few composers were selected to feature their works.

54 Below, New York鈥檚 Broadway-themed club, is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve and expand the art of the cabaret. They are committed to supporting diverse communities of emerging and established artists and to expanding their audiences. A recipient of the 2022 Tony Awards Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, 54 Below is affectionately known as 鈥淏roadway鈥檚 Living Room,鈥� a home away from home for Broadway professionals and audiences alike. The club combines performances by Broadway鈥檚 best with world-class dining in an elegant setting. With a pre-theatre dinner offered nightly from 5:30pm, it has set a new culinary standard for New York City entertainment venues.

Seven 黑料不打烊 students recently won first place at the Regional Level, performed on the prestigious Honors Recital, and 10 have qualified to advance to the National Level, in 12 categories, which will be held this June 26-29 at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvnia. 黑料不打烊 Accompanists, Suzanne Polak, Tyson Hankins, CJ Albee, Rebecca Oden and Christy Wisuthseriwong, accompanied the students at the state and regional competitions.

Regional Winners

• J.T. Loveless won first place in both First-Year Music Theatre and Classical TBB, and is a student of Polly Cornelius, senior lecturer in music.
• Micah Cabot, Trevor Hudson and Isaiah Flowers all qualified for NSA in First-Year Music Theatre TBB.
• Addy Reese won first place in both First Year Music Theatre (NSA) and Classical Treble, and is a student of Polly Cornelius.
• Leilani Miranda won first place in First Year Music Theatre Treble and is a student of Polly Cornelius.
• Victoria Evans won first place in Second-Year Music Theatre Treble and is a student of Gretchen Bruesehoff, adjunct assistant professor in music.
• Tara Flury won Third place in Second-Year Music Theatre Treble and is a student of Polly Cornelius.
• Elle Huestis and Sitare Sadeghi tied for First-Place in Senior Music Theatre Women, and are students of Gretchen Bruesehoff and Polly Cornelius.
• Micah Cabot won First Place in Lower Post-High School Commercial Music TBB and is a student of Gretchen Bruesehoff.
• Nicole Bazos qualified for NSA in Fourth-Fifth Post-High School Commercial Music, Treble and is a student of Gretchen Bruesehoff.
• Alyssa Alpaugh won second place in Fourth-Fifth Year Post High School Commercial Music, Treble, and is a student of Gretchen Bruesehoff.

State Classical Winners

CL 5B-1 Second Year Classical Treble

Jocelyn Bogart, 1st place (Hallie Hogan)

Tara Flury, 1st place (Polly Cornelius)

Skylar Jensen, 2nd place (Hallie Hogan)

Arielle Henley 3rd place (Polly Cornelius)

MT 7A- Third Year Classical Treble

Mindy Monroe- 2nd place (Polly Cornelius

Andrea Baca – 3rd place (Polly Cornelius)

Corinne Wilson – 3rd Place (Gretchen Bruesehoff)

Gavin Miller won first place in First-Year Music Theatre Men and is a student of Polly Cornelius

Victoria Evans won First place in First-Year Music Theatre Women and is a student of Polly Cornelius.

Charlee Rubino won First place in Third-Year Music Theatre Women and is a student of Gretchen Bruesehoff

Camille Fundingsland and Mary Kate McDonald tied for First-Place in Senior Music Theatre Women, and both are students of Polly Cornelius.

Charlie Pelletier won First Place in Senior Music Theatre Men and is a student of Gretchen Bruesehoff.

Other music and performing arts students who competed and placed at the state and regional levels are listed below.

State

MT 5A

Cassidy Benullo 2nd place

Tara Flury, 2nd place

Arielle Henley 3rd place

MT 5B-1

Claire Keel 2nd place

Regionals Sammy Azua

MT 6A

Regionals George Zemla

MT 7A-2

Ella Nagel 2nd place

MT 8A

Tommy Pegan 3rd place

MT 14

Travis Foust 1st place

CM-5

Nicole Bazos 1st place

Alyssa Alpaugh 3rd place

CM-7

Jamiliyah Ismaiel 1st place

Tabby Spell 3rd place

Regionals

MT 5B-2

Claire Keel 3nd place, NSA

MT 7A

Ella Nagel 3rd place, NSA

MT 14

Travis Foust 1st place

CM-5Nicole Bazos 2nd place- NSA

CM-7Advancing to Nationals 鈥� Tabby Spell

Music faculty members Polly Butler Cornelius, Hallie Hogan and Gretchen Bruesehoff attended the conference and competition, and university pianists Sharon LaRocco, Tyson Hankins, Suzanne Polak and Christy Wisuthseriwong accompanied the students. All 20 of the students listed below qualified for regionals.

Classical Regionals

First聽Year Treble

Mindy Monroe and Andrea Baca (Cornelius)

Corrine Wilson (Bruesehoff)

Hashini Amarasinghe (Hallie Hogan)

Summer Severin (Bruesehoff) also qualified for regionals in second year treble

Ella Nagel (Bruesehoff) and Sadie Margolis (Cornelius) in second year treble

Elizabeth Cerrito (Bruesehoff) 3rd place in fourth year treble

Music Theatre Regionals

Campy Rodriguez won 1st Place in First Year TBB musical theatre (Cornelius)

Sammy Azua 2nd place in first year treble (Bruesehoff)

Helena Padial 2nd Place in first year treble (Cornelius)

Mindy Monroe, (Cornelius) and Charlee Rubino (Bruesehoff) also qualified for regionals.

Sarah Fetherston 2nd place in second year treble musical theatre (Bruesehoff)

Laker Figueroa won first place in second-year TBB musical theatre (Bruesehoff)

Charlie Pelletier won 1st place in third year TBB musical theatre and won 2022 Music Theater Outstanding Collegiate TBB award (Bruesehoff).

Mary Kate McDonald (Cornelius) won 1st place in third year treble musical theatre

Summer Severin and Brynn Creasman (Bruesehoff) also qualified for treble musical theatre regionals.

Mara Campolattaro (Bruesehoff) 2nd place in fourth year treble musical theatre

Abby Harnum (Cornelius) also qualified for Regionals in fourth-year treble musical theatre

Jack Morrill (Bruesehoff) 2nd place in fourth year TBB musical theater

The students, Tara Venkataraman ’25, Matt Boyle ’24, Katherine Kapp ’25, Sadie Margolis ’25, Aidan Levinson ’23 and Eva Pierce ’23, performed solos and ensemble numbers on two public opera and jazz concerts in Orti di Pinti and the famous Saint James Church. The program culminated with the students singing in the ensemble and smaller roles in a聽performance of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi.

They聽performed alongside other students from around the world who also participated in the course, as well as regional professional Italian opera singers who sang the leading roles.

Rocco Sharkey ’19 is living and performing in Italy and sang the leading tenor role of Alfredo. The production was accompanied by a string ensemble, “Il contrappunto,” and conducted by Cristiano Manzoni.

Over 350 students from the region competed at this level, and six 黑料不打烊 students with the top scores have advanced to the Final, National Level, which will be held in Chicago this summer. The following students were winners at the state level and advanced to regionals:

• Eva Pierce ’22, Junior Classical Women,聽 student of Hallie Hogan
• Alexa Lugo ’22, Senior Classical Women, student of Hallie Hogan
• Mary Louise Fuller ’22, Senior Classical women, student of Polly Cornelius
• David D’Ardenne ’22, Senior Classical Men, student of Gretchen Bruesehoff Wiles
• Sarah Poythress ’22, Senior Classical Women, student of Gretchen Bruesehoff Wiles
• Ella Nagel ’25, First-Year Classical Women, student of Gretchen Bruesehoff

Nagel won first place in the regionals and advanced to the national competition. Poythress won third place at the regionals. D’Ardenne also advanced to the nationals in the Senior Classical Men category.

Several 黑料不打烊 Music Theatre students who won at the state level last fall were also winners at the recent Mid-Atlantic regionals and have advanced to the nationals.

• Sitare Sadeghi ’25, first place, first-year music theatre women, student of Polly Cornelius, advanced to Nationals
• Mary Kate McDonald, first place, second year music theatre women, student of Polly Cornelius, advanced to Nationals
• Micah Day ’24, first place, second year music theatre men, student of Polly Cornelius, advanced to Nationals
• Abby Harnum ’22, first place, third-year music theatre women, student of Polly Cornelius, advanced to Nationals.

Congratulations to all of these talented students and their voice professors.

All of the students who participated in the competition won or placed in their respective categories receiving top scores qualifying them to advance to the Mid-Atlantic regional level, which consists of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. The regional round will be held in March 2022.

Sitare Sadeghi ’25 and Tara Venkataraman ’25 won first and second place, respectively, in the First-year College Women Music Theatre category.

Mary Kate McDonald ’24 won second and聽Camille Fundingsland ’24 placed聽third in the Sophomore College Women Music Theatre category.

Micah Day won first place in the Sophomore College Male Music Theatre category. Abby Harnum won first place in the Junior Women College Music Theatre category and Audrey Trullinger advanced to regionals among Fourth/Fifth-year women.

Sadeghi, Day and Harnum all performed at the prestigious Honors Recital.

The students submitted videos, and were accompanied by and 黑料不打烊 faculty pianists Sharon La Rocco, Billy Summers and Katherine Thomas. The following is a list of the students, their respective categories, and their voice professors.

• Natalie McCormick advanced to the regionals in first-year collegiate women. She is student of Polly Cornelius
• Alexa Lugo won first place in junior collegiate women and advanced to regionals. She is a student of Hallie Hogan.
• Sarah Poythress won second place in junior collegiate women and advanced to regionals. She is a student of Gretchen Bruesehoff Wiles.
• David D’Ardenne won first place in junior collegiate men and advanced to regionals. He is a student of Gretchen Bruesehoff Wiles.
• Julia Towner advanced to regionals in senior collegiate women. She is a student of Polly Cornelius.

Congratulations to these students and their teachers.

University Accompanists Sharon La Rocco, Rebecca Oden and Billy Summers played for the students. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition was originally scheduled to be held at The University of South Carolina, but was held via video submissions because of COVID-19. More than 400 students from Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina competed at this level.

At the Regional level, Andrew Bonomolo won first place in lower musical theatre men, and is eligible to compete at the National Level. He is a voice student of Polly Cornelius. Ava Karas, student of Hallie Hogan, placed in first-year classical women, and is also eligible to compete at the National Level.

Bonomolo’s submission for the competition is below.

The following is a list of students who placed at the state level and advanced to regionals, their respective categories, and their voice professors.

Andrew Bonomolo – first-year music theatre men, First place in NC and First Place at Mid-Atlantic Regionals -Polly Cornelius

Faythe Kelly – first-year music theatre women, -Polly Cornelius

Skyler Sajewski- second-year music theatre women, -Polly Cornelius

Gianni Palmarini – second-year music theatre men- won 3rd place in NC – Polly Cornelius

Nathan Keffer – second-year music theatre men – student of Polly Cornelius

Hannah Ellowitz – Won First place in NC – second year music theatre women -Julie Celona-Van Gordon

Kali Clogherty – second-year music theatre women – Julie Celona-Van Gordon

Maecy Bischoff聽– first-year classical women – Won First Place in NC – Hallie Hogan

Ava Karas – first-year classical women – Hallie Hogan

David D’Ardenne聽– second-year classical men – Gretchen Bruesehoff Wiles

Miles Caraballo -second-year classical men – Polly Cornelius

Sarah Poythress – second-year classical women – Gretchen Bruesehoff Wiles

Alexa Lugo – second year classical women – Hallie Hogan

Julia Towner – third-year classical women – won 3rd place in NC – Polly Cornelius

Ross Cohen – third-year classical women – won 3rd place in NC – Polly Cornelius

Kaitlyn Heit – third-year classical women – Gretchen Bruesehoff Wiles