Musical Theatre and Acting

Let your light shine!

 

Character. Creativity. Confidence. Community. We believe that Theater is a great art form for everyone to explore, and an exciting way for students to develop many skills. In SHINE Musical Theatre productions, classes, and summer camps kids stretch themselves creatively. Our young actors are given so much more than just training in acting, singing, and dancing. They are given confidence, friendships, positive role models, and lasting memories. Nurture your gifts and get ready to SHINE!

Classes and Coaching

Musical Theatre Classes

Our Little Stars, Rising Stars, and Shining Stars classes will have your young actor on their way to becoming a triple threat!

SHINE! Musical Theatre Productions

CAM proudly stages several musical theatre productions each year, immersing each student in the full musical theatre experience!

Acting, Dancing, and Audition Skills Workshops

CAM hosts workshops on audition preparation, resume building, vocal technique, and more.

Voice Lessons

Learn proper technique to protect your voice and how to “act a song” with our highly experienced voice faculty.

Beauty and the Beast Jr

We are so excited to announce our next production… Beauty and the Beast Jr!

 

Belle, Beast, Gaston, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Babette, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Maurice, Lefou, Madame De La Grande Bouche.. we could go on all day about the fabulous roles in Beauty and the Beast. From the lavish costumes to the unforgettable music, this show is such a favorite for audiences of all ages.

Auditions will be held on November 17, 2024. Everyone who enrolls and auditions will be cast in the show! Performances will be in late February. Casting ages 10-17. Students do not need to take classes at CAM to be cast in the show.

Fall 2024 Musical Theatre Classes

Our fall SHINE Musical Theatre classes are back! Under the direction of Marissa Hertzfeld, your child will learn acting and vocal technique, choreography, how to “act a song,” and prepare for their Musical Theatre Showcase.

Rising Stars

Ages 5-8

In Rising Stars, your child will explore musical theatre through song, dance, and acting. We start each class with improv games and vocal warm ups, then dive into singing, acting, and choreography. This class establishes the building blocks of musical theatre performance while nurturing creativity, confidence, and imagination. The session will end in a Musical Revue performance on November 12th!

SHINE Cast t-shirt included. 10 week session

Tuesdays 4:45-5:30 PM
September 10 – November 12

Enroll

Shining Stars

Ages 9-13

Shining Stars focuses on developing those Triple Threat skills… singing, dancing, and acting. Your child will learn techniques for creating believable characters, while also building musicianship skills that will prep them for future auditions, such as our Winter Musical Production. Shining Stars is also excellent preparation for winter and spring productions at school and community theatre. Using music from some of the greatest Broadway shows, the class culminates in a Musical Revue on November 12th for Shining Star families. See their confidence, teamwork, and leadership skills grow!

**Shining Stars students will receive discounted tuition for our Winter Musical Production, Beauty and the Beast!

SHINE Cast t-shirt included. 10 week session

Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 PM
September 10 – November 12

Enroll

audition workshop musical theatre at charlotte academy of music with tomeka chaney

Workshop

Join us on September 28, 2024 for an Audition Skills Workshop led by Tomeka Leaphart Chaney. In this dynamic workshop, you will learn vocal technique plus audition skill building such as…

  • Choosing Music: Pick songs that show off your unique talents and fit your style
  • Character Performance: Act out the song like a story, making your character memorable and engaging
  • Managing Nerves: Discover easy ways to handle nerves and things to avoid for a confident audition
  • A portion of the workshop will be devoted to reviewing the audition requirements for CAM’s next production, Beauty and the Beast Jr.

Sign Up Here!

Annie JR

Summer 2024 Mainstage Production

Bravo to our cast, crew, and directing team on our Summer Mainstage Production of Annie Jr! In just ten days this talented cast produced magic on stage. Annie is such a beloved and timeless classic. It has been eleven years since we did Annie at CAM, and it was pure joy bringing it back to the stage! Thank you to Marissa Hertzfeld, our Director, and Brandy Caton, our Choreographer, for all of their hard work and leading with such enthusiasm and passion for theatre!

 

 

 

Coaches

  • Kirsten Beach

    From growing up around the coast of North Carolina to studying in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Kirsten Beach is a vocalist, actress, and active … More Kirsten Beach »

  • Emma Hans

    Emma Hans is a dedicated pianist and vocalist with over twenty years of experience in the music industry. With a Bachelor of Music degree in … More Emma Hans »

  • Angela Renée Simpson

    Angela Renée Simpson is a passionate and motivated voice teacher with over a decade of experience working with students of all skill levels. Her goal … More Angela Renée Simpson »

  • Laura Black

    Laura Black is an accomplished performer in both musical theatre and opera. Originally from Gastonia, North Carolina, Laura relocated to the Charlotte area from New … More Laura Black »

  • Marissa Hertzfeld

    As a Charlotte native, Marissa grew up performing in local community theatres. She decided to pursue her love of theatre at Appalachian State University where … More Marissa Hertzfeld »

  • PJ Barnes

    New York born actor PJ Barnes, like most, started performing early in his life. From putting on shows for his family, he eventually stumbled onto … More PJ Barnes »

  • Sara Jackson voice teacher charlotte academy of music

    Sara Jackson

    Columbia, SC native Sara Jackson has studied and performed a variety of musical genres, from opera, to musical theatre, to heavy metal! Sara earned her … More Sara Jackson »

  • Brandy Caton

    Brandy Caton found her love of dance at a young age when she wouldn’t stop dancing around the house, and so her parents enrolled her … More Brandy Caton »

  • Tomeka Leaphart Chaney

    Having experience in the music, acting, dance and modeling industries, Tomeka brings a diverse experience to her students. Tomeka holds a Bachelor of Arts in … More Tomeka Leaphart Chaney »

philadelphia presbyterian mint hill

Charlotte Academy of Music is grateful to partner alongside Philadelphia Presbyterian Church (PPC) in Mint Hill as the home for our musical theatre production performances. We just love PPC’s heart for our community, and are thankful that they share their wonderful facilities with us!

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

The Addams Family

SHINE Musical Theatre and Charlotte Academy of Music proudly presented The Addams Family young@part summer of 2023. Congratulations to our Directors PJ Barnes, our cast and crew. Enjoy this video montage of clips from the show!

 

 

 

 

Willy Wonka

Congratulations, Wonka cast!

Our talented Willy Wonka cast took the stage to tell Roald Dahl’s timeless story of the delicious adventures inside the chocolate factory. Directed by Marissa Hertzfeld, our cast gave two spectacular performances on February 24, 2024 at the Kerr Recreational Center in Mint Hill. Bravo to our cast, directing team, and crew. We are so proud of you!

Aladdin

Charlotte Academy of Music and SHINE Musical Theatre, in partnership with Music Theatre International (MTI), presented Aladdin KIDs in July 2023. Based on the iconic animated film, with an Academy Award-winning score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Disney’s Aladdin KIDS sent our audiences soaring on a flying carpet ride filled with romance and adventure.

Congratulations to our Aladdin cast and crew on an amazing production!

 

Legally Blonde

Congratulations to our Legally Blonde cast on an incredible show! This cast performed two shows at PPC on January 14, 2023. We could not be more proud of this fantastic cast, directing team, and crew! It was an absolute hit to two sold out audiences!

Many thanks to PJ Barnes (Director) and Tomeka Chaney (Production Administrator) for leading this incredible cast to such a terrific production.

 

High School Musical

Our incredible cast of High School Musical Jr performed to a packed audience at Philadelphia Presbyterian Church in Mint Hill on May 29, 2022. In this 5 day musical theatre intensive, our cast was immersed in what it takes to put on a show… and that they did! The Jocks, Brainiacs, Cheerleaders, Thespians, coaches and teachers were, dare we say, all in this together. We loved seeing this cast become a cohesive team working together to produce something wonderful.

Congratulations to the cast, crew, and our phenomenal Director, PJ Barnes.

 

 

Sister Act

SHINE Musical Theatre and Charlotte Academy of Music presented the hilarious musical comedy, Sister Act JR, May 6-7, 2022. Filled with powerful gospel music, outrageous dancing, and a truly moving story, Sister Act JR. left our audiences rejoicing! A sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, Sister Act JR. was such a fun show. Our cast took the Kerr stage at Philadelphia Presbyterian Church giving three wonderful performances.

Congratulations to our tremendously talented cast, our crew, and Director Joanna Dendrolivanos.

 

 

Past Shows

CAM Alum Spotlight

Samantha Gangal, Actor and Musician

Samantha Gangal

Samantha is an actress, singer and model originally from Charlotte, now living in Los Angeles. Her career began when she started taking piano lessons at CAM at the age of 7. In addition, she starting taking singing lessons and performed roles in the Charlotte Academy of Music productions of Annie JR and The Sound of Music. A few years later, while taking acting classes in Charlotte, Samantha attended a talent showcase in Florida where she caught the eye of agents in Los Angeles. It was then her family made the decision to move west on a temporary basis.

Samantha has appeared in several national commercials, including Frito Lay, General Motors, and Disney. Her television and film credits include episodes on DreamWorks TV (OMG), Investigation Discovery Channel’s Blood Relatives, and feature films Internet Famous and Agent Revelation. She has also appeared in various web series episodes, short films, and music videos. Samantha’s musical interests include rock, musical theatre, and pop. In addition to recording covers, she just finished recording two original songs to be released later this summer.

Samantha’s  Instagram, Facebook, IMDb, Youtube, Website

Ivan Mallon

“In 2014, I moved to California to pursue acting full time. I was fortunate enough to book one of my first jobs for a Nickelodeon television show “School of Rock” based on a 2003 movie starring Jack Black. During the audition process, they asked everyone to perform a musical skill of their choice, and due to my years of piano classes at CAM I had no problem selecting something to showcase. I worked on that for four years and am thankful every day for that special experience. Flash forward a couple of years. I am currently recurring on a Hulu show, have been given the opportunity to guest star on other projects, meet great people, and continue every day to go after my passion.

I will always be thankful for the amazing support and love that CAM gifted me and my family. I am truly grateful for the amazing teachers and staff that made it some of the most memorable years of my life.”

Ivan on IMDb

Caroline Kirk

Caroline Kirk was a longtime voice and musical theatre student at CAM. At CAM, Caroline played the leading role of the Baker’s Wife in our production of Into the Woods.  After graduating high school, she headed to Catawba College where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. During her educational career, she performed in 17 productions. She was awarded Best Actress of the Season for her portrayal of the Witch in Into the Woods (2019), Gertrude in Hamlet (2018), and Karen in The Children’s Hour (2017). She was also awarded the Dance Award in 2017, and then received the Jo Ann Smith Dance Award in 2018 for Excellence in Execution for her role as Virtue in Anything Goes. During her junior year at Catawba, Kirk began holding coaching sessions for the students in her program to help with audition packages, classwork, and any other acting/vocal work. In her senior year, she made this an official Master Class program, and used this as a part of her Capstone presentation on actor coaching.

After graduating from Catawba, Kirk began working for Old Town Theatre Company in Rock Hill, SC, as an actress and director. Kirk portrayed Katrina Van Tassel in their production of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 2019, and also served as the dance captain for that production. In February of 2020, she was cast as the White Rabbit/March Hare in their production of Alice in Wonderland, which was, unfortunately, cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. In July of 2020, Kirk was offered a directing position with Old Town Theatre Company to direct several short Shakespearean scenes for their “Sidewalk Shakespeare” project. Kirk led a crash-course in performing Shakespeare with a fellow company member, then quickly began casting and directing her scenes. She now resides in Atlanta, GA, and is overjoyed to see the return of live theatre to her area.

Caroline’s Website, Instagram

Past Workshops

Adam Pascal

Adam Pascal Workshop at Charlotte Academy of Music

Charlotte Academy of Music hosted a very prestigious visitor. Tony award nominee and Broadway star, Adam Pascal, taught a master class for musical theater hopefuls in the area. Adam is well known for originating the role of Roger Davis in the  1996 cast of Rent on Broadway, the 2005 movie version of the musical, and the Broadway tour of Rent in 2009. He is also known for originating the role of Radames in Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, for playing the Emcee from the 1998 revival of Cabaret, and for playing Huey Calhoun in the Broadway company of Memphis. Most recently, he played William Shakespeare in the Tony Award-winning musical Something Rotten!

Adam came to Charlotte Academy of Music as  part of the Straight from New York workshop and concert series. This series brings big name Broadway performers to cities around the US so that new talent can benefit from their knowledge and experience. Master classes are a great way for students to get performance feedback from professionals and most students walk away having learned invaluable information about performing and the theater business.

Read more about Adam Pascal’s visit to Charlotte Academy of Music

 

Videos

CAM is such an amazing place. I have taken voice lessons, piano lessons, and been in four of their musical theater productions. The Academy has taught me how to have confidence, have stage presence, and helped me improve my musical skills. During the years I’ve been there, I have made many friends and met some great teachers. There is a real sense of community when we are all working together to make the world a better place through music. I love being able to surround myself with people who have the same interests and passions as me.

~ Morgan