Musical theater students to compete for
prizes
In a city where it sometimes seems like everyone is chasing the
dream of making it in an entertainment industry known for its
brutal exclusiveness, UCLA’s Carol Burnett Awards offer some
hope for aspiring performers.
Each year, students compete for cash prizes. This year’s
competition takes place today, and participants will present
five-minute scenes judged by music and theater experts.
At the event, students enrolled in Music Theater Workshop have
the chance to show what they’ve learned. The performances are
directed by John Hall, who teaches the music theater course.
Casey Fichtner, a second-year anthropology student who took the
course during the fall and winter quarters, says she is planning to
attend to watch several friends.
“Everybody does a really good job ““ great singers,
dancers and actors,” she said.
Burnett, who attended UCLA, was the Emmy-winning star of
“The Carol Burnett Show” from the late 1960s to the
early 1970s. But her rise in the world of entertainment
wasn’t a given ““ she didn’t have the money to
start her career until a benefactor in her college days made it
possible.
The story behind the awards is also something of a Hollywood
fairy tale.
As a student at UCLA, Burnett had a talent for performing that
earned her a name on campus. An audience member who watched her
perform at a party gave her $1,000 to move to New York and pursue a
career in performance art.
The donor, who remains anonymous, told her she had to help other
young entertainers realize their aspirations of performing in show
business.
With the birth of the Carol Burnett Awards at UCLA about two
decades ago, Burnett began giving to others the gift she once
received ““Â money to help out in what for many is a long
journey to achieve the dream of securing a spot in the
entertainment industry.
The event hosted by the Department of Music is free and open to
the public.
The competition takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. in Schoenberg
Hall. For more information, call (310) 825-4761.
Compiled by Bruin staff.