Kristin Chenoweth's Broadway Boot Camp Returns To Broken Arrow For 9th Year

A path to Broadway begins in Broken Arrow.

Each summer, the Kristin Chenoweth Broadway Boot Camp brings 8th-12th grade students from all over to train under Broadway professionals, including Chenoweth herself.

"This camp is about providing a safe and nurturing place for kids who are in love with the arts who want to sing, who want to dance, who want to act, but more than anything to celebrate what is the best of themselves on stage," said Boot Camp Co-Director and Broadway actress Erin Dilly.

This year, 65 students from 21 states and six different countries auditioned and earned a spot. Louisa Roberts, 17, from England is back for her third year.

"The reason I joined was to meet Kristin Chenoweth because she was my idol," Roberts said. "The reason I keep coming back is because of the people, the incredible training, and the friends I have made."

Roberts heard about the camp by following Chenoweth on social media.

This year, the Broadway star was not able to attend in person but is still teaching the teens. Chenoweth did a Zoom call with the campers earlier in the week from her dressing room in Boston, where her new musical, "The Queen of Versailles," is premiering.

"It is really interesting seeing the process of such a hard and challenging show that she is doing right now," Roberts said. "Her values of love and kindness is what this camp is about, so she is still completely here but in addition to that we get to see her doing incredible things in 'The Queen of Versailles.'"

Also cast in the show is former Broadway Boot Camp student Tatum Grace Hopkins.

Her success helps the other students continue to dream big.

"I would love to train in America and then go out in the world and try to perform on Broadway," Roberts said.

The camp, while fun, also sets realistic expectations of what being a performer on Broadway is like.

Over the 10-day camp, they rehearse 12 hours each day.

"I think it gives us a really incredible insight into the industry and how hardworking the industry is," Roberts said. "So, if we think this is something we want, we can be reminded it is not simple. You can have fun and you can love what you do but you have got to put the work in if you want to have that career."

For the faculty, this camp means more to them than much of the success they have seen throughout their careers.

"We get here and every one of us is instantly renewed and inspired because we were these kids," Dilly said. "We were the kids who wanted to come to theatre camp, find our people, sing showtunes, and look up to our idols on stage."

However, the camp does more than hone the students' skills on stage, it connects them to who they are off of it.

"While we certainly want them to develop their love of the arts, we also want them to sort of unearth and connect to what their bigger purpose is going to be," Dilly said. This is a unique aspect that makes this boot camp so successful.

"We focus a lot on what we learn about ourselves," Roberts said. "It is not just learning to do a pirouette, it is learning who you are, and what you bring to a rehearsal, to a performance."

The boot camp ends on Saturday, July 27, with a student-faculty performance called the Kristi Awards Show. This year, all the performances come from shows Chenoweth has been in, like "Wicked," "Annie," and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."

The show will start at 7 p.m. at the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center and is free to attend with a ticket.

The show is free, but a ticket is required. Tickets can be found HERE