Beyond Training: The Role of Theatre Educators

AMERICAN THEATRE: On May 16, 2016, hundreds of alumni of the University of Michigan’s musical theatre program gathered at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway to celebrate Brent Wagner, the department chair, on the occasion of his retirement. Many months of planning went into the two-and-a-half-hour evening of songs, sketches, and speeches dedicated to Wagner’s three-decade career at the school. Spearheaded by Gavin Creel and Celia Keenan-Bolger, the gala concert brought alumni and current performing arts students together to perform onstage and work in the wings to honor Wagner.