South Side High School alumna hosts musical theater workshop

South Side High School alumna Rachel Blackburn’s own musical theater workshop kicks off in Rockville Centre this summer.

The theater enthusiast starred in multiple South Side productions from 2001 to 2003. She went on to receive a bachelor of music degree, with a focus on vocal performance for musical theater, from New York University in 2007. Now, she will share her expertise with the community — the new program begins Aug. 12 at Leggz Ltd. dance studio.

“I’d always done theater growing up — in elementary school, high school and college,” Blackburn said. “My whole life was theater.”

Blackburn knew she wanted to pursue a theatrical career path since she was a child, but she took an unconventional route to get there. After graduating from NYU, Blackburn changed her trajectory and became a lawyer, although she soon found herself longing to return to her theatre roots.

“I wasn’t really cut out for the corporate world,” Blackburn reflected. “I missed singing and performing.”

Blackburn left her job as a lawyer and began teaching private voice lessons in the Rockville Centre area. From there, she realized that combining her love for children and musical theater into a camp would be “a perfect marriage.”

As the sole founder of the upcoming workshop, Blackburn had the independence to choose what she wanted to teach. “I didn’t have any theater immersion other than community theater or my high school plays,” Blackburn said. “There was no program that I went to, so I’m drawing from things I wish I had when I was younger.”

The camp will be held at the S. Long Beach Road studio where Blackburn attended dance classes throughout her adolescence. Joan MacNaughton, founder and director of Leggz, will teach a dance class to campers while Blackburn coaches them on singing and technique.

“It’s great to have her back,” MacNaughton said. “She’s part of the Leggz family.”

The camp is for students ages 10 and up. It runs everyday from Aug. 12 to 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Blackburn will instruct students in a catalogue of contemporary musical theater numbers, which will be performed for families and friends on the final day.

“I hope that these kids can walk away from this week with an extra feeling of confidence,” Blackburn said. “Just an extra feeling of feeling good about yourself and like you can stand up in front of people and speak or perform. To have the confidence to do that, and have the confidence to make mistakes.”

For more information or to register for Blackburn’s program, contact rachelblackburn1221@gmail.com.