Playbill names OCU as Top 10 most-represented university on Broadway

Oklahoma City University students perform the musical, "Music Man".

For the second year in a row, Oklahoma City University has made Playbill magazine’s Top 10 list of universities having the most alumni on Broadway during the 2018-2019 season.

OCU is the only university in the middle of America that made the list and it has the smallest enrollment compared to its counterparts, boasting 3,400 students on the campus.

“It’s wonderful to be on this list,” said David Herendeen, director of opera and musical theater at the Bass School of Music. “We’re the little engine that could.”

OCU joined the ranks of New York University, Carnegie Mellon, and Juilliard on the list. The only other school west of the Mississippi included on the honor roll is the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, with campuses in New York and Los Angeles.

At OCU, there are three schools represented on the Broadway stage; the Wanda L. Bass School of Music, the School of Theatre and the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment. The university specializes in training “triple threats” who graduate ready for employment as singers, dancers, and actors. OCU pioneered American dance in higher education as the first university to offer degrees in tap, jazz, and music theater dance.

Students perform "Anything Goes" at Oklahoma City University.

With three separate focuses on music, dance and entertainment, Lacy School Associate Dean Melanie Shelley said students are offered a more direct approach to learning the separate crafts, helping them be more prepared for their careers. There are also degree programs for dance management and entertainment business.

But one of the biggest assets that OCU has is its alumni, she said. There’s an alumni group in New York City that helps keep OCU’s professors updated on what’s being demanded in the industry. The OCU-NYC group also hosts workshops for the current OCU students.

“That’s the exciting thing for the students is there’s such a camaraderie in the school, then a network of alumni to help them as they’re coming up in the business,” she said.

Shelley said in her more than 30 years at OCU, she’s seen the programs continue to grow, so the alumni base has expanded with it.

Two of OCU’s most recognized alumnae are Kristin Chenoweth and Kelli O’Hara. As Broadway traveling tours make their way through the city, the OCU alumni usually stop in to visit with the students or their professors.

Herendeen said in the more than 20 years he’s been at the school, he’s seen the enrollment grow from a regional draw to now he has students from 29 states and two countries. He said OCU is praised for the diverse alumni that it sends into the industry.

OCU is also just a few blocks away Lyric Theatre, an important step to Broadway or other prominent stages. Herendeen said he’s seen the relationship between the school and Lyric grow stronger, expressing an appreciation to Lyric’s Artistic Director Michael Baron and Associate Artistic Director Ashley Wells. He said Lyric and City Rep provide a highly-professional environment where students learn firsthand about the industry, which are lessons he can’t teach in the classroom.

 The education both on campus and in the local arts industry have helped OCU alumni become so fine tuned in their craft that they’ve taken home Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Awards.

Currently, OCU alumni on Broadway are in the following shows: Carousel, My Fair Lady, Ruben & Clay’s Christmas Show, Frozen, Aladdin, Anastasia, Oklahoma!, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Kiss Me Kate, Be More Chill, Waitress, Beetlejuice, Spongebob Squarepants, Kinky Boots, The Book of Mormon, Pretty Woman, and Hello, Dolly!.

Herendeen went to see Eryn LeCroy in “Phantom of the Opera” and said seeing his students achieve their dreams is an incredible feeling. While it’s exciting to make Playbill’s list, the most thrilling accolade is seeing his students on stage.

“It’s the most satisfying and heart-warming feeling to watch this magnificent artist perform,” he said.