Beyond the Spotlight: How ASU Gammage Is Shaping Broadway’s Next Generation
Every year, high school students from across the country travel to New York City to participate in The Jimmy Awards® after competing in their regional High School Musical Theatre Awards programs. The evening is filled with glitz, glamour, and high-energy performances, a true Broadway spectacle. Many describe the night as a place where the future talent of Broadway is discovered, especially for students who dream of performing under the spotlights, fly rails and scene changes.
But it would be remiss not to shine a light on those who make the magic possible from behind the scenes: the artists calling cues, managing quick changes, and building the elements that allow the show to go on in the first place.
At ASU Gammage, there is a clear understanding that the individuals working backstage are the heart of every Broadway production. In its regional awards program, ASU Gammage recognizes excellence across multiple technical disciplines, including Best Set & Props, Best Lighting, Best Sound, Best Costumes, Best Hair & Makeup, and the Excellence in Stage Management Award. These honors are equally coveted and represent just one of the many ways ASU Gammage fosters the future of Broadway, both onstage and off.
Another way the theatre expands access to opportunity is by hosting career panels in partnership with The Broadway League, the Broadway Speakers Bureau and working Broadway professionals. In the second iteration of this program, ASU Gammage welcomed BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB’s Production Stage Manager, Arabella Powell, who joined 135 high school students via Zoom to share career insights and tools for success in the industry. Powell was thrilled to see so many students expressed interest across a wide range of theatrical disciplines.
“You don’t have to know how to do everything,” Powell said, “but you do have to understand enough to have an informed conversation.”
Powell believes that strong stage management comes from understanding each person’s role well enough to solve problems when they arise. Having worked on productions including THE LION KING, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, KIMBERLY AKIMBO, WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, AND THE ROSE TATTOO, her expertise is highly sought after by directors who trust her to ensure every production is the best it can be.
“A Broadway show can run for years,” Powell explained. “Once it opens, the director and designers leave. The production stage manager is the person who makes sure the show stays great eight times a week into the future.”
Students were deeply engaged throughout the conversation. When invited to ask questions, many wanted to know how Powell chose her career path and how they might begin their own.
“I didn’t start out wanting to be a stage manager—I started by paying attention,” Powell said. “If you’re interested in stage management, get close to the work. Do props, run crew, follow the stage manager, and learn by being in the room.”
Passionate about improving representation and access within the industry, Powell encouraged students to reach out if they were interested in pursuing stage management and advised them to get involved with local theatres whenever possible.
To close the session, Powell offered a simple but powerful reminder: “You have to see it to be it.”
Finding the right path into theatre can be challenging, but programs like this provide students with the opportunity to see what’s possible—and to imagine themselves as part of Broadway’s future.
