Hudson County Community College to Offer Classes and Concerts Featuring Broadway Stars

September 27, 2016

September 27, 2016, Jersey City, NJ – The stars will be out this fall at Hudson County Community College with a new series of classes and concerts, all coordinated by one of the Great White Way’s brightest stars, Catherine Walker.

All of the events are part of the College’s Fall 2016 Cultural Affairs Series, feature some of Broadway’s finest performers, and are open to the public, free of charge. The classes and performances are being held in the Atrium of the Benjamin J. Dineen, III & Dennis C. Hull Gallery on the sixth floor of the College’s Library Building at 71 Sip Avenue in Jersey City, just one block from the Journal Square PATH Transit Station.

The HCCC Broadway Classroom Series is open to individuals age 15 and older. Sessions are scheduled for first Fridays in October through December, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

  • Learn Choreography with award-winning actor and artist Eddie Pendergraft from the stage of Wicked, on Oct. 7 . A resident actor for nine years on Broadway in Wicked, Mr. Pendergraft earned his BFA at Webster University and went on to study at Parsons New School for Design. He toured with the national company of The Sound of Music and several regional musical companies, and has appeared in many New York City stage, TV and film productions.
  • Broadway Music and Lyrics Workshop on Nov. 4 with Benjamin Rauhala, producer and music director of the recent “Broadway Loves Britney” presentation at Feinstein’s/54.   He was part of the music team for the revival of Fiddler on the Roof and the production of American Psycho, and serves as music supervisor for the Off-Broadway revival of The Marvelous Wonderettes. Mr. Rauhala served as music director for Hit List, the meta-musical from NBC-TV’s SMASH.
  • Stage Combat Workshop on Dec. 2 with Jeff Barry , a fight director whose work includes theater, film and television. Mr. Barry’s Broadway work includes Superior Donuts, Fish in the Dark, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. He has also worked Off-Broadway and in regional theater, most recently with the Broadway-bound Anastasia. His film and television credits include Guiding Light, How We Got Away with It, Fireworkers, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, and the upcoming Occupy, Texas.

The HCCC Broadway Concert Series is open to individuals 8 years of age and older. The performances will be held the second Tuesday in October, November and December from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. In addition to the performances, there will also be opportunities for Q&A and autographs!

  • Broadway Couple Nikki Renée Daniels and Jeff Kready perform on Oct. 11. The husband-and-wife team met when they were performing in Les Miserables. Ms. Daniels’ Broadway credits include The Book of Mormon, Nine, Little Shop of Horrors, Anything Goes and Lestat, and she was part of the New York City Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess. Mr. Kready recently finished playing in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, and was featured in Billy Elliot: The Musical, and Sunday in the Park with George, as well as several Off-Broadway productions.
  • Enjoy an afternoon with the talented Catherine Walker on Nov. 8 . Ms. Walker is currently touring with the national company of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, and she had starred in the original Broadway production of that show. Her other Broadway credits also include the revival of Ragtime, and the original production of Mary Poppins (where she made her Broadway debut and played the second Mary). She also tours the United States representing Walt Disney Productions as the guest soloist with major national orchestras.
  • On Dec. 13, spend part of the afternoon with Eliseo Roman , currently starring as Gloria Estefan’s father in the acclaimed production of On Your Feet.  His distinguished career includes performances on Broadway in Leap of Faith , In the Heights, and Hair, and Off-Broadwayin Pirates of Penzance, In the Heights (Drama Desk Award Winner), Godspell, and A New Brain.