Broadway Academy

Date:

July 14-19, 2025 - One SIX-day session of BROADWAY ACADEMY will be offered.

Hours:

• Camp begins at 9 AM and ends at 4 PM (Monday-Friday) and from 9 AM until approximately 4:30 PM on Saturday.

• Students may be dropped off in the morning between 8:45-9 AM.  The doors open at 8:45 AM each morning.

• Students will be dismissed from the building between 4 PM and 4:10 PM (M-F).

Final showcase: 

SATURDAY at 3:00 PM.  (Details for attending/viewing the showcase will be provided later.)

Location:

Des Moines Civic Center, 221 Walnut Street, Des Moines, with some instructional activities held at nearby locations.

• Fee for the six-day BROADWAY ACADEMY is $465, which includes a daily snack.
• Participants are asked to bring a sack lunch each day.
• Pay in full at time of registration or in four equal installments. Payment plans only available for registrations received prior to March 10, 2025.

Music Required

Each participant is also expected to prepare a musical theater song for the week to use in coaching sessions. See the link for more details.

Attendance

• Due to the intense rehearsal schedule, participation in the showcase performance is dependent on full attendance throughout the week.

• Missed rehearsals may necessitate that a participant give up part or all of their role(s) for the success of the overall performance.

Expectations

The week is designed for aspiring performers who are highly interested in musical theater. Auditions are not required to participate; however, previous training or experience is necessary. (We recommend that participants have experience in at least two of the following areas: singing, dance and acting.)

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR 2025.

All scholarship funding for this camp has been awarded to students for this season.

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IMPORTANT: Please submit a scholarship application BEFORE registration opens to the public. 

• A spot will be held for you until the scholarship committee can review applications. 
• If you register AFTER public registration opens, your application will be reviewed if a spot becomes available.

We want to make sure that camp is accessible to all.  Please complete the online SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION if financial assistance is needed to allow your student to participate. 

The following information is needed to complete the application form: 

• Your contact information
• Your average monthly household income
• A Statement of Interest (preferably written by the student, and then UPLOADED as a PDF or Word document, OR, TYPED directly into the form). 

Scholarship funding is based on need and time of request and is awarded on a case-by-case basis.

Submitting this form does not guarantee a scholarship or a spot in any camp.

Questions: Contact Lynnae Lathrop at LynnaeL@DMPA.org.

NOTE: If you attended camp last summer on a School-to-Stage scholarship after being nominated by your school, please contact LynnaeL@DMPA.org.

Your participation is very important to the overall success of your selected camp, although we understand that summer plans sometimes change.

In the event that you are no longer able to participate, please submit notice of your camp cancellation to LynnaeL@DMPA.org or call 515-246-2360 to leave a message.

• All refunds are subject to a $50 cancellation fee.
• Written notice of cancellation must be received four weeks prior to the first date of the camp in order for a refund (minus the cancellation fee) to be issued.
• If a cancellation is submitted less than four weeks prior to the camp start date, a refund minus the cancellation fee will only be issued if we are able to secure a new registration to fill the vacated spot.
• Should camp be cancelled by DMPA, a full refund will be given.

If during registration, an error is made that enrolls a student in the wrong camp, a change fee of $50 may also be charged.

Questions? Please contact our summer camp manager at LynnaeL@DMPA.org or leave a message at 515-246-2360.

Before and After Camp Care 

• Before and After Camp Care sessions are offered for an additional $7.00 fee per session, (or $14 per day), which may be added during the registration payment process.

• Before care opens at 7:30 AM (Monday through Friday - no before care on Saturday morning).

• After care ends promptly at 5:30 PM (Monday through Friday).

Already registered and need to add before and after camp care? Contact LynnaeL@DMPA.org.

More detailed information about THE BROADWAY ACADEMY will be emailed 3-4 weeks prior to the opening day of camp.

The BROADWAY ACADEMY is a different camp model than our Musical Theater Camp.  It is an age-adjusted version of the Broadway Intensive. Every day for six days the schedule is filled with rehearsals and coaching sessions, culminating in a showcase of what was learned and rehearsed to be performed on the Civic Center stage. This is not a “kid’s camp” with art and games; it is a camp that teaches and helps students grow and develop confidence as performers through workshops and coaching.

The biggest factor for a successful BROADWAY ACADEMY experience is the willingness to give everything a try. 

What do students do at camp?

• Students will be asked to bring a prepared short solo for camp. The instructors coach students on everything from tips on how to talk to the accompanist and how to stand to how to tell the story of their song. Some confidently approach the solo coaching with songs they have auditioned with before; others have just learned their songs for camp and nervously await their moment.

• Students also are placed in a dance class geared toward their level of experience based on an opening day exercise/audition. Each level learns choreography from a show that students their age have performed on Broadway.

• The schedule also includes acting workshops and breaks along the way. 

• The week ends with a showcase on Saturday where students are featured in either an acting scene, a dance demonstration, or a musical number, and all participate in a fully-choreographed number from a Broadway show.

The DMPA staff answers questions and gets students where they need to be, offering tips and suggestions along the way. Fellow campers offer support, cheering each other on and celebrating each new step. It is an emotional, wonderful week, where students learn about the realities of musical theater and bond in ways that can be experienced more than described.  Many students return year after year just to see their Broadway camp friends.

The Broadway Academy is an exciting, challenging experience where students can live out some of their performance dreams and ALL learn something about themselves as performers and as people. 

Session full?  Get on the Wait List!

If your preferred session is full, please add your name to our wait list by clicking HERE and indicate your student's age and which session(s) you are interested in attending.

We will contact you if a space becomes available.