Prerequisite: Students must have completed the A La Carte or Adult Ensemble Class. If not, you may submit a letter of intent to the instructors to determine whether you will be able to jump in.

So you want to “be in a play”? 

Adult Ensemble is a weekly gathering where you’ll enjoy all of the benefits of being part of a theatre cast, like the tight knit community of people with shared interests and something to look forward to each week, along with learning about many aspects of the theatre.

The ensemble will be introduced to the show, work the choreography, learn the music and work with the instructors to prepare for a showcase to present to an audience of family and friends.

Adult Ensemble members will audition for and be cast in a winter production. Rehearsals will consist of exploring the themes presented in the text, learning the music, the choreography, and the staging for the production. 

This Adult Ensemble will present excerpts from “America Sings!” “America Sings!” is an original musical revue based on the writings of Stan Freberg. It’s a hilarious night of comedy that celebrates the good ol’ USA and the Broadway Musical…Betty Ross and Barbra Streisand…George Washington and George M. Cohan…Uncle Sam and Auntie Mame! “America Sings!” takes its audience on a nostalgic trip back to Colonial times to witness the birth of a nation through what else? Musical theatre! America and Broadway come alive and its memorable sound track serves to underscore the triumphs and achievements of our great nation. The production is designed to bring out the best in every ensemble member.

Come explore your creative talents as well as meet other people in a fun framework to explore the rich diversity and talents of the local community.

New York’s Award Winning Cabaret Phenom, Alan Palmer, returns to 3Below to play Skull in Emojiland. While here Alan will offer a cabaret workshop. Cabaret performances are often known for bringing alive the Great American Songbook from the 1920s through the 1950s for contemporary audiences. But modern-day cabaret does much more than preserve the past—it also promotes and fosters the new generation of American composers and creates a uniquely vibrant musical and theatrical experience for its audiences. Life Is A Cabaret examines the unique vocal and nonvocal requirements for performance within the exciting genre of cabaret.

Choose the best songs for your cabaret. Know how to craft what you say between the songs. Put everything in the perfect order to show you at your best. Gain confidence by showing your work live to other students in the group.

Alan will work with students focusing on lyric and intent. Each week students will get a single “word of the week” and choose a song with that represents their interpretation of what that word means to them. Each week the class will work on a new word. At the end of the session students will perform in a no-stress cabaret showcase for friends and family.

What if I’m not a “real” singer? 

Don’t worry. You can “speak-sing”. Remember Rex Harrison? It’s not about having a great voice, but having something to say.  The important thing is getting the story across.

What if I don’t sing Musical Theatre or jazz? Would any musical style be okay?

Absolutely.  It really does not matter what genre you sing, or even if you “speak-sing”.  What matters is the story you tell, and how you tell it.  

Let’s learn how to put on a musical. Join Alan backstage to experience together what it is like to create a musical from page to stage. Students will work on choreography, staging, music and help design what they think the costumes, props and set should look like.

Together they will work on excerpts from Rock On Broadway, a musical“rockumentary” written and staged by Alan Palmer. Students will work on hit songs from Hair, Rent, Tommy, Hairspray, Rocky Horror, Xanadu, Footloose, Saturday Night Fever, Full Monty, Mama Mia, All Shook Up, Leader of the Pack, Smokey Joe’s Café, and many more rock musicals. 

Led by 3Below’s Production Manager and Resident Designer, this class will give students the opportunity to participate in workshops devoted to artisanship and design. Stagecraft workshops will give students the opportunity to work with the tools and techniques of theatrical production in a practical way.

Theatre Design workshops will introduce you to the craft, theory, and art of designing for theatre and dance presentations, exploring artistic, historical, and cultural elements of theatre design. Theoretical knowledge will be balanced with experiential learning, obtained through practical experiences at 3Below.

Students will have opportunities to participate in designing and building the costumes, properties, and scenery for the other Schoolhouse Showcases, and will have the opportunity to run lights and sound for these showcases.