Back in another life, the one I like to call the "life-before-children," I was VERY into theater. I acted in community theater as a little girl. I studied in New York City for a semester mainly so I could be around the Broadway community. I saw shows whenever I could. Even though it is not a huge part of my life anymore, I still love the opportunity to enjoy real Broadway music and a fun night at the theater, but in rural Pennsylvania, we don't really have a ton of that around. This is why I am SO thankful to have discovered A Broad's Way. And I am even more amazingly grateful that I got to photograph them this week.
A Broad's Way is an all-women ensemble (a trio of singers + one accompanist) that performs Broadway music around our community. They write their own shows, choreograph their own dances, and bring Broadway joy to the DE/MD/PA community. They are RIGHT up my theater-loving ally.
I saw them perform in May, and BOY was I impressed. They are hilarious, professional, and incredibly talented. The women sing a myriad of Broadway songs, ranging from serious ballads to funny and comedic numbers. Their harmonies are awesome. And they pepper their show with fun anecdotes and audience participation at times. It is a blast!
I knew these performers would be totally natural in front of my camera, but I LOVED how much fun they had! They are not just performers together; they are friends. They spent our time talking and laughing and making fun of themselves. It was very easy to feel comfortable in their group.
Erin Cates Smith is fantastic! She is an accomplished and well-loved soprano in the local community and has an extensive resume. My favorite role she plays is my Zumba instructor :-). No matter what she is doing, she makes it fun and entertaining. And more importantly, she shares her talents with the community by working with youth theater. She is not only an amazing performer, but also an amazing person.
Gina Giachero is the accompanist, which essentially means the rock of the group.
Even though she is not right up in the spotlight with the other three women, without her, the show could not go on. As the sole accompaniment for this group, she joyfully tickles the ivories for their entire show. I met Gina for the first time at our session, and I LOVED her! She made everyone laugh the whole time, and her own laugh lit up the whole group. Her joy is infectious!
Victoria Healy is the newest member of a Broad's Way.
A dynamic alto, she has been performing in the Delaware theater community for as long as I can remember. I was pleasantly surprised to "meet" her at the show in May (we were both in the audience), and then quickly realized that we did theater together when we were younger! I cannot wait to see her perform in this group; I know that she is an amazing addition. Theater is a huge part of her life, and I loved learning that she not only performs frequently in different productions, but she also teaches theater and works with after school programs. She is such an example in giving back to the community.
And finally, Debra Arnold.
I was a fan of Debbie's LONG before I met her, and now I am so blessed to call her my friend. No matter where I hear her voice, whether it is at church or on a big stage, I am in awe of her. She is a beautiful person who finds such joy in performing, but also finds joy in sharing a love of music with others, especially children. Even though she has performed many incredible leading roles, the most important one to her is being a wife and mom, which she does extremely well. I am so grateful for Debbie's voice, example, and friendship.
This group is fantastic. They exude talent, give back to their community, and are just fun to be around. I love how they play off of each other and how their voices (and piano) sound together. I cannot wait to see the wonderful shows this group brings in the next few months!
0 comments:
Post a Comment