Lansing Matinee Musicale Emerging Artist Award Finale

Local nonprofit Lansing Matinee Musicale, one of Michigan’s oldest arts organizations, has reached the final round of its Emerging Artist competition for musical theater, which “seeks to identify the best musical theater artists who have begun their professional journey and need that one break to move their careers forward.” 

The global competition was open to musical theater soloists between the ages of 20 to 28. Three have made it past the first two rounds and into the finals: Rachael Dec, who majored in theater and minored in dance at Northwestern University; Sarah Juliano, who graduated from the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance and studied at The Second City in Chicago and New York; and Sydney Roslin, a performer, director and writer who grew up in Michigan and now resides in Manhattan. 

Judging the contest, which is free and open to the public, is University of Michigan Professor Emerita Melody Racine; theater director, choreographer and educator Greg Ganakas; and Michigan State University Professor Rob Roznowski. The winner of the competition will receive $2,000, with a $1,500 award for the runner up and a $500 prize for third place. 

The musicale, which has long seen a lack of support for post-graduate students and young professionals in performance-related fields, has presented its Emerging Artist Award periodically for decades. The contests have focused on a variety of disciplines, including voice, piano, strings, dance, woodwinds and brass. 

“A lot of these people have already gone to school for it or studied for it, and then they’ve gone off to New York or Los Angeles or someplace, and they’re trying to be young professionals. Our goal is to give them a little boost, especially if they’re from Michigan, because it is a really hard field to succeed in,” musicale Vice President Patrice Van Voorhees said in an interview with City Pulse at the start of the competition in November.