Here are just a few highlights of what our professors are doing this spring and summer:
Julio Agustin (Matos, Jr) will be directing three professional (SDC) stage productions employing more than 60 actors and designers, 7 of which are current or past students of his. He continues his commitment to anti-racism with over half of the hires being of the Global Majority.

Deb Leamy will be choreographing A Chorus Line at New London Barn Theatre and Pageant: The Musical at Forestburgh Playhouse. She will also be directing and Co-choreographing San Fransisco’s Broadway Bares V: Fairy Tales
with a twist: Fanciful Tales where Stripping Prevails. 

Brian Kremer presented scholarly presentations at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Memphis, Tennessee, on the following topics:

• Instructional Touch in the Voice Studio
• Rock n Roll: Acting the Pop/Rock Song (with Professor Kim Shively)

He will also be partaking in a discussion panel titled “Repertoire for Trans/Non-binary singing students: A Panel” at the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Conference in Chicago in July.

Their continuous work outside of the classroom makes them better teachers, aiding their students with real-life experience and current doings of the theatre industry. This makes Elon students fully prepared to enter the industry after graduation.

This semester, the program will host gender and queer theorist Roger Rosen to lead several workshops in a classroom setting.

Rosen will come to campus on April 11 and 12 and will teach the following workshops:

• Monday, April 11, from 2 to 3:40 p.m. — Workshop with seniors in the Music Theatre program and any performing arts students: “Gender, From Story to Street: Exploring Gender Identity & R/roles”
• Tuesday, April 12, from 2:30to 4:10 p.m. — Master Class with Music Theatre juniors plus Q&A, teaching original choreography from ‘”Fiddler on the Roof.” Rosen was the dance captain of 2004 Broadway revival.
• Tuesday, April 12, from 4:20 to 5:20 p.m. — Professional Practices guest: Open Q&A & Conversation on “Re/writing Sex & Gender in Musical Theatre.”

Unless otherwise indicated, all events are open to all within the Elon community.

The Music Theatre program is excited to dive deeper into discussions based on Gender in Theatre and further our understanding and appreciation of Queer Culture.

Roger Rosen’s Bio

Rosen is a teacher, poet, essayist, playwright, comedian, sex-positive Queer and Gender Theorist, questioner, and explorer.

After receiving his BFA in Acting from Tisch School of the Arts, he began a nearly 20-year career in Musical Theater. That career took him to 47 states, Europe, and to Broadway, where he swung and dance captained the 2004 revival of Fiddler on the Roof starring, Alfred Molina and Randy Graff, then Harvey Fierstein, Andrea Martin, and Rosie O’Donnell.

(Visit for full biography.)

From Hollywood to Broadway, recent Elon music theatre grads are cementing themselves in show business as future stars of the industry. The music theatre program would like to highlight a few of the many alumni from the past two years and the work they have done in the theater and film industry.

Madeline Hudelson ’20 (New York City)

Hudelson graduated from Elon at the height of the pandemic but still managed to establish herself as a rising talent. She was recently featured in the film “The Cathedral” as a supporting role and was showcased at Sundance Film Festival and the 2022 Venice Biennale Film Festival.

Marella Francia ’20 (Los Angeles)

Since graduating, Francia signed with Artists United Agency in Los Angeles and KU Talent in the southeast. With the help of her agents, she recently shot two short films, one commercial and is currently shooting a feature film as a lead which will Mae her SAG-AFTRA eligible.

Jaylan Evans ’20 (New York City)

Evans has landed numerous roles since he graduated from Elon. Some highlights include making his television debut as a guest star on “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” and making his off-Broadway debut in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s “…what the end will be” written by Mansa Ra. He is set to play the role of Skull in the world premiere of a new rock musical, “Punk Rock Girl!”

Christine Wanda ’21 (New York City)

Since graduating in May 2021, Wanda has performed at several theaters around the United States including, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre’s Summer 2021 season, Lexington Theatre Company’s Concert with the Stars, The Lex’s Summer at Home Program teaching music to children and Oregon Shakespeare Festival playing Storyteller and Ti-Moune/Asaka understudy in “Once on this Island,” receiving her Actors Equity Card.

Haile Ferrier ’21 (New York City)

Ferrier was booked in the “Dear Evan Hansen” national tour not even six months after graduating from Elon. Understudying both female leads, Zoe and Alana, Ferrier made her National Tour debut in Omaha, Nebraska as Alana.

The Music Theatre program at Elon congratulates our incredible alumni for all of their successes, whether they were featured in this article or not. We always look forward to hearing about the work our alumni are doing post-grad and are proud to share it with the world.

has written various works of theater as well as served on the music teams of “Frozen,” two national tours of “Hamilton” and the film adaptation of “The Last Five Years.” While at Elon, he has music directed the fall main stage musical, “42nd Street” and taught Music Theatre Literature to juniors and seniors. He plans on music directing the winter mainstage musical “Into the Woods” as well as teaching a Music Directing class in the spring.

So why all the talk about “Hamilton?” Well, Chris Rayis reached out to one of his “Hamilton” contacts, , who served as associate choreographer next to Andy Blankenbuehler, and asked her to come to Elon to teach a masterclass.

Klemons will be coming to Elon on Nov. 8 to Nov. 10 to teach a dance masterclass and work exclusively with the senior Music Theatre majors. The Music Theatre program said they are lucky to be able to bring in such successful and talented artists to help expand students’ knowledge of the professional theatre industry.

Students are required to take three classes and can choose one elective. The required courses include Introduction to London Theatre, where they get to see a play or musical once a week. They are also required to take Shakespeare and Stage Combat. Sunkara stated that she decided to take High Comedy as an elective, where she is studying comic dramas and how to satirize mannerisms and way of life of polite society. Another elective that Belarmino is taking is devised theater.

Although Elon offers similar classes, like Shakespeare and stage combat on campus, these students get to dive into the heart of London Theatre and learn from other sources, allowing them to expand their horizons on European Theatre.

While in London, the Music Theatre students have had the opportunity to see many shows. Some of their favorites include “Indecent” by Paula Vogel, “White Noise” by Suzan-Lori Parks, “Camp Seigfried” by Bess Wohl, “The Last Five Years” by Jason Robert Brown, and “Oleanna” by David Mamet.

“Studying in London this semester has opened me up to so many new types of theater and acting techniques that I’ve never experienced. I’ve seen so much beautiful theater that has changed me as an artist and I can’t wait to bring this newer version of myself back to Elon,” Sunkara said.

Outside of theater, the students are able to travel on the weekends to neighboring countries to expand their worldly views including Spain, France and Portugal.

Despite COVID-19 halting many musical and play productions, London theaters have found a way to bounce back and continue sharing the art form with locals and tourists. Although the London study abroad was canceled last year, Elon has found a way to make it happen this year by encouraging students to get vaccinated and practice safe and healthy habits.

“Being able to see so much live theater in London after not being able to see any theater for over a year has been deeply fulfilling. I feel lucky to be here and excited to learn how seeing so much theater will inform my acting,” Belarmino said.

The Elon Acting Program is proud to offer this fantastic opportunity to BFA Performing Arts juniors every Fall Semester. For more information regarding this program, please visit the for the program.

After a year and a half of anxiously waiting, Broadway has officially reopened on Sept. 14, 2021. Among the shows that had their reopening were “Hamilton,” “Wicked” and “The Lion King,” all of which featured Elon Alumni in the casts.

Fergie Philippe ’17 returned to the cast of “Hamilton” as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison. “Wicked” reopened starring Ginna Claire Mason ’13 as Glinda and will feature Matt Meigs ’12 and Lindsay Northen ’03. Lastly, recent graduate Sidney Wilson ’21 made her Broadway debut in “The Lion King” as Sarabi and Nala understudy.

The Elon Music Theatre Faculty and Students are proud of Elon’s representation on Broadway. From small-town Elon to the Big Apple – once a Phoenix, always a Phoenix.

Yet Elon’s Music Theatre program continues to be ready and resilient by keeping the theatre alive and running – virtually, that is! One of these productions was “The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin” directed by Julio Matos, choreographed by Keshia Wall, and music directed by Dan Gibson, all faculty members within the Department of Performing Arts.

“The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin” by Kirsten Childs is a humorous and pointed coming-of-age story about a young Black woman (Viveca) who blithely sails through the confusing worlds of racism, sexism and Broadway showbiz until she is forced to face the devastating effect that self-denial has had on her life.

Matos found it important that the cast be educated on historical events mentioned in the show, like the Civil Rights Movement and the dearth of black female representation in the media from the 1960s through the 1990s. He sought out professional theatre-artist and dramaturg cfrancis blackchild, who provided weekly Zoom discussions about what effect these events had on the characters in the musical.

In addition to their in-depth dramaturgy work, cast member Giselle Watts ’23 worked with Tammy Cobb, associate director for community partnerships at the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, to create a community outreach program that includes the Burlington Boys and Girls Club, CityGate Dream Center, and others.

Performers taught participating elementary, middle, and high school students the stories and dances co-choreographed by students Faythe Kelly ’23 and Renell Taylor ’23 while also having important conversations about racism in and out of the arts. Watts has been working with the Kernodle Center to facilitate an experiential/service-learning experience credit for the cast members participating in the community outreach.

“I’ve always been interested in non-profit work and organizations and getting involved in the community, which is one of the reasons why I came here to Elon. Theatre is not just about studying ‘the craft’, but is also about the communities that we build and reach through the stories that we tell,” Watts said.

Theatre is not just about studying ‘the craft’, but is also about the communities that we build and reach through the stories that we tell.

-Giselle Watts ’23

“The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin” is being filmed live – complete with masks and social distancing protocols –  with a release date of March 5, 2021.

For more information, please visit .