Education & Outreach
In keeping with Goodspeed's mission to advance the understanding and appreciation of musical theatre and to develop the talent of artists, Goodspeed established The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre in 2002.
The Center encourages and nurtures musical theatre artists and students by providing a unique and comprehensive array of training and educational programs to serve both the national and local academic communities. Goodspeed is committed to the belief that arts education is a vital component of a well-rounded education and crucial for long-term audience development. Understanding this, Goodspeed’s education programs engage young people in the creative process of musical theatre, and by doing so, make the art form accessible to new generations of theatergoers.
For more information on any of the program listed below, please contact Nick Palazzo at 860.873.8664 x522 or npalazzo@goodspeed.org.
Since 1998, Goodspeed’s Arts Education Collaboration has provided access each year to nearly 1,800 underserved elementary, middle, and high school students to a musical theatre production and gives them a special “behind-the-scenes” look into the making of a show. Students immerse themselves in an educational program that includes in-school and out-of-school workshops, hands-on learning activities, access to Teacher Instructional Guides, tickets to Goodspeed performances, student lunches, and bus transportation to and from East Haddam.
Designed for youth ages 9 to 14, Goodspeed SummerSong is taught by Goodspeed Musicals’ highly-regarded professional staff. Each day will be filled with classes focused on singing, dancing and acting skills as the students prepare for an end-of-the-week showcase for family and friends. Throughout the program, artisans and other experts from the Goodspeed staff will provide opportunities for students to learn about what happens behind the scenes to bring a musical to life.
The Festival of New Musicals is a unique collaboration between emerging writers and students from The Hartt School at the University of Hartford and Western Connecticut State University. Three teams of writers and composers, joined by senior students from the schools, continue the development of new musicals through staged readings that are performed to the public on The Goodspeed stage. In addition to the book-in-hand readings, festival-goers are treated to a Symposium, break-out sessions, cabarets, and a Meet-the-Writers session.
Throughout the season, the Goodspeed welcomes groups from schools, corporations, service organizations, and group facilities to experience the magic of live theater. To enrich your group’s experience when visiting the Goodspeed or attending a show, book additional activities such as tours, master classes, or post-show talkbacks for your group members to enjoy. We offer additional activities à la carte or as packaged deals for groups of up to 25 or 50 participants. More info
In addition, Goodspeed offers Kids Nights for each production, which enables thousands of youngsters to see the magic of live, musical theatre at a deeply reduced rate.