Emma Simon Joins Vocal Masterclass with Broadway Star

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From left, Cameron Brownell, Michael Celentano, Frank Hartley, Lisa Vroman, Vincent Covatto, Thomas Killourhy, Emma Simon, Jamilla Fort and Jacob Carll. Jordan Davidson, left, and Jeffrey Kerr kneel.

POTSDAM, NY (09/28/2010)(readMedia)-- Emma Simon, a junior from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., recently had the rare opportunity to take pointers on performance and show biz from Broadway star Lisa Vroman at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam. The talented student musician performed alongside other singers before taking advice from the seasoned soprano.

A SUNY Potsdam graduate herself, Vroman led the masterclass at her alma mater on Sept. 22 with the cast of "On the Town," a co-production of the Crane Opera Ensemble and the College's Department of Theatre and Dance.

"Our students greatly benefit from working with our accomplished alumni who know exactly what it was like to be a student at SUNY Potsdam," said Dr. Carleen Graham, a professor of opera at the Crane School of Music. "They inspire our students to pursue their dreams and they give thoughtful and honest feedback. Lisa's love of the college and of musical theatre is infectious!"

The students presented duets and ensemble pieces on stage at Sara M. Snell Music Theatre in SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music Complex, and Vroman then critiqued their performance and gave them guidance and tips for improving their theatricality. She later presented a concert, entitled "How Can I Keep From Singing?", which was sponsored by Community Performance Series.

The students performed selections from Leonard Bernstein's "On the Town," including "I Feel Like I'm Not Out of Bed Yet," "New York, New York!," "Come Up to My Place," "Carried Away" and "Lonely Town."

Lisa Vroman has achieved notable success on both the Broadway and opera stages since her collegiate days in Potsdam. She starred as Christine Daaé in "The Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway for several years and was featured with Colm Wilkinson and Michael Ball in Cameron Mackintosh's "Hey, Mr. Producer!" at the Lyceum Theatre in London. She sang the role of Birdie in "Regina" with Utah Opera and made her New Jersey Opera debut as Rosalinda in "Die Fledermaus," replacing Metropolitan Opera soprano Ruth Ann Swenson. Vroman was also the first to play both Fantine and Cosette in "Les Misérables."

To learn more about the world-renowned Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.

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Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures, and concerts presented by faculty, students, and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York's only All-Steinway institution.

-www.potsdam.edu/crane-