Bravo! announced today that it has ordered the new 13-episode, one-hour, original documentary series BROADWAY BOOTCAMP from Montreal-based and Gemini Award-winning Apartment 11 Productions. The fresh, new energetic series follows eighteen average Canadians as they experience a musical “bootcamp” with the goal of performing a Broadway musical in front of a live audience after only eight weeks of training. The project is developed for television by Alberta Nokes (THE NAKED ARCHAEOLOGIST), Carol Hay (COLD SQUAD, POWER PLAY), and acclaimed director, dancer and performance coach Sarina Condello (POP STARS, THE BAREFOOT DANCER, BIG VOICE), who also stars.
“BROADWAY BOOTCAMP celebrates the performer in all of us,” said Corrie Coe, Senior Vice-President, Independent Productions, Bell Media. “Ebullient and up-lifting, this series is not about competition, but about coming together through the power of song and dance. We hope it will be a great companion piece to CTV’s upcoming mid-season series SMASH.”
BROADWAY BOOTCAMP follows director Sarina Condello as she takes eighteen Canadians with no theatrical experience beyond their comfort zone. Sarina gets them to do things they never thought were possible, such as dance, sing, and act. In just eight weeks, working around everyone’s real-life careers and schedules, Sarina’s “Broadway bootcamp” must transform these amateurs into polished entertainers who can perform a Broadway musical in front of a live audience.
None of the participants will be professional performers, but rather anyone with the ambition to try, regardless of their skills. Broadway wannabes from all walks of life – doctors, bakers, bicycle couriers and financial analysts – will perform together and bring out their inner divas.
Off-stage, viewers will discover what propelled the cast members to take on this massive challenge and how the experience affects them and their families and friends. On-stage, viewers see the cast in action during rehearsal, working to get past their biggest fears to pull it together to become an ensemble. Will Sarina find the star in each of them?
As a coach on television series such as BIG VOICE, POP STARS and BATTLE OF THE BLADES, Toronto native Sarina has helped performers use movement to increase confidence, open their voices, and convey emotion. As a highly qualified educator, Sarina trains teachers how to use the arts to improve learning. As a motivational director, she has given hundreds of amateurs, adults and children what many say is the experience of a lifetime, performing publicly for the first time in a Broadway musical.
BROADWAY BOOTCAMP is produced by Montreal-based Apartment 11 Productions in association with Bravo!. Executive Producer is Jonathan Finkelstein, Series Producer is Leslie Fruman. Robin Johnston is Production Executive for Bell Media. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Independent Production, Bell Media.
