Registration is Now Open for PPAC's 2026 Summer Musical Theatre Intensives, Next Stop BROADWAY® and ENCORE!
Next Stop BROADWAY® Runs July 20 - 24 & July 27 – 31 and ENCORE! Runs August 3 - 7
Next Stop BROADWAY® and ENCORE! are generously supported by the Robert F. Stoico/FIRSTFED Charitable Foundation and PPAC’s Annual Fund donors
Providence, RI – The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for their 2026 summer musical theatre intensives at ppacri.org/nsb. Next Stop BROADWAY®, for students ages 10 through 17, will return for two five-day sessions, Monday, July 20 – Friday, July 24 and Monday, July 27 – Friday, July 31. More experienced high school-aged performers are encouraged to apply to ENCORE!, a five-day musical theatre intensive running Monday, August 3 - Friday, August 7.
Both programs are held at the Providence Performing Arts Center, located at 220 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence. At the end of each week, participants (“cast members”) will have the chance to perform on the PPAC stage in an “Opening Night” show, to which family and friends are welcome.
Ricky Gresh, PPAC Director of Community Programs, said,
PPAC is proud to bring the magic of Broadway to the youth of Rhode Island. Theatre, like all arts, cultivates self-esteem, confidence and creativity, leading to greater academic achievement and engagement. We are grateful to the Robert F. Stoico / FIRSTFED Charitable Foundation and the many contributors to PPAC's Annual Fund for supporting financial aid and making it possible for Next Stop BROADWAY® and ENCORE! to be fully accessible programs.
Ricky Gresh, PPAC Director of Community Programs
About Next Stop BROADWAY®
Week 1: Monday, July 20 – Friday, July 24
Week 2: Monday, July 27 – Friday, July 31
A Great Fit For: Ages 10-17. Aspiring performers who want to explore musical theatre AND those with prior experience who want to build their confidence on stage. Cast members work collaboratively as an ensemble in age-based groups of 20 to 25.
Led by Broadway professional instructors, Next Stop BROADWAY® participants (“cast members”) will learn the music and choreography of iconic ensemble numbers from the Golden Age of Broadway. The “opening night” performance on Friday, July 24 (Week 1) and Friday, July 31 (Week 2) will feature numbers involving individual groups, pairs of groups and the whole cast.
How To Join The Ensemble: Enrollment is first-come, first-served. An audition is not required. Please visit www.ppacri.org/nsb for more information and to register. You may also contact Ricky Gresh at nsb@ppacri.org or 401.574.3105.
About ENCORE!
Dates: Monday, August 3 - Friday, August 7, 2026
A Great Fit For: High schoolers (grades 9-12) who are serious about musical theatre – they are looking to improve their skills or techniques and hone their strengths in performance (acting, singing, dancing). Applicants must have experience performing in a minimum of two musical theatre productions; this requirement can include being a part of Next Stop BROADWAY®.
In ENCORE!, “cast members” will collaborate with Broadway professionals and their peers in small groups. During the week, they will learn, rehearse and perform a medley of musical theatre pieces from the 1950s-1970s, the era following the Golden Age of Broadway.
The medley performance will take place on Friday, August 7 on the PPAC stage; the event will showcase the talent(s) of each cast member.
How To Be A Part of the Cast: Cast members must apply for admission into the program. An audition or recording may be requested. Please visit www.ppacri.org/nsb to learn more and to register. You may also contact Ricky Gresh at nsb@ppacri.org or 401.574.3105.