Courtesy report
Two Ruston teens are headed to the big apple to perform at Carnegie Hall during the NY Pops Gala on Monday, April 28, 2025.
No strangers to the stage life, Kaejha Stewart and Jari Richardson actively participate in productions with Ruston Community Theatre with their most recent show being The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Jari played The White Witch and Kaejha played Mrs. Beaver. They have done multiple shows together with RCT and enjoy being on stage together. They are also members of ACT Up Drama Club here in Ruston where they recently performed Cluckster the Musical- written and directed by Tami Alexander.
Last July, both Jari and Kaejha attended Camp Broadway Mainstage in New York where they met several kids from around the US and the world for a weeklong intensive training on vocals and dance. The girls completed 40-Hours of instruction in vocal technique, movement and performance taught by theater professionals plus a masterclass by a guest artist. Campers also got an opportunity to take a trip to see all the behind the scenes of what it takes to put on a full musical on Broadway. They spent the day with the cast and crew of Back to the Future then ended the day watching the musical as a group.
Camp Broadway Ensemble invited students ages 12-17 to audition to be part of the performance at Carnegie Hall. The girls had to submit a vocal and dance audition to secure their spot with the ensemble. A big thanks to Gretchen Jones, Dee Alexander, and Tami Alexander for helping with the process. CAMP BROADWAY® is a Special Drama Desk Award-winning company for “introducing young people to the magic of theater and for playing a crucial role in creating tomorrow’s audiences.”
Founded in 1995 and recognized as Broadway’s “original” summer camp, Camp Broadway’s mission is to make theatre arts an accessible and relevant vehicle for creative children to build confidence, hone presentation skills and discover their unique talents at every stage of their lives. Operated by the Broadway Education Alliance, Camp Broadway is a leader in audience engagement and a trusted source for year-round youth enrichment programs, experiential events and educational workshops that have set the gold standard for professional, authorized musical theater and drama content for use in amateur arts programming.
Jari and Kaejha left Ruston on Friday for New York for a three -day intensive leading up to the performance on Monday night, rehearsing each day from 9am – 5pm and a masterclass with a guest artist. It was intense work in a short period of time, but the girls are ready for the challenge and are excited to get this once in a lifetime opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall.
The knowledge and skills acquired from this experience can be brought back to Ruston to help further grow the great community theatre we have here.
