Randolphs Academy for the Performing Arts

Listen up, theatre buffs! This one’s for you. So, do you LOVE the arts but have nowhere to express your passion? Can you sing like Mariah Carey or Usher, dance like Blake McGrath or Mia Michaels, and/or act like Reese Witherspoon (she was amazing in Legally Blonde, okay?) or Mister Denzel Washington himself? Then you better put your Chanel reading glasses on and pay attention to this article. Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts should basically be your home away from home.

Located right in the heart of Mirvish Village (Bathurst and Bloor) in the ever-so-trendy Annex neighbourhood, the Randolph Academy is the place for all performing artists. Founded in 1992 by George Randolph, this is not your everyday average studio. Many are fooled by the appearance. It was once a church, which seated about 1,200 people. In 1968, the United Church realized they should turn it into a theatre, and here we are today.

The programs offered at the Academy are incomparable to other studios. There are programs and classes for dancers, singers, actors, and even Triple-Threats-to-be.

This is where the musical theatre part comes in: a weekly three-hour intensive is offered throughout the school year. Classes are held on either Saturday or Sunday (you choose which day you would like to take the class). During each session, the three hours is split into an hour of acting, an hour of singing, and an hour of dancing. Dance classes are categorized based on level of expertise. Classes are separated into different age groups: the juniors, intermediates, seniors, and pre-college students. The Academy also offers a college program for high school graduates. Graduates of the college program have been seen on Broadway, in the Stratford Festival, in television, in movies, and many other places.

Does that sound appealing to you? Well, there’s more. Randolph Young Company is a theatre group based at the Randolph’s Academy. It allows children/teens of 10-18 years of age to participate in a professionally produced show. The past seasons have included The Wiz, Godspell, High School Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Footloose, and Free to Be. The upcoming season includes West Side Story and Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr.

I hope this article has helped you realize that the Randolph Academy will give you the training, support, and environment you need to become your desired perform