Broadway baby
By Staff
Hartselle student tapped for trip to Great White Way
Tracy B. Cieniewicz, Hartselle Enquirer
The dream of a Hartselle mother and daughter was fulfilled recently in the Big Apple.
Kaylon King, 11, was recently selected as one of 50 students nationwide to perform on Broadway in New York City.
Bravo, the cable television network dedicated to arts, culture and entertainment programming, and its cable affiliates selected the students, spanning in ages from 10 to 17, as winners of the ultimate prize in the "Bravo On With The Show" national essay contest.
Winners experienced three days of intense theatrical training under the tutelage of professional Broadway actors, choreographers and directors. Students learned singing, dancing and acting roles for a final performance April 18, hosted by Bravo celebrity Jai Rodriquez, in front of a live audience on Broadway's famed Imperial Theatre.
While this was neither Kaylon's first trip to New York nor her first theatrical experience, she was thrilled by the opportunity.
"The best part for me was actually getting to perform on Broadway," Kaylon said.
"The best part for me was getting to see her perform on Broadway," her mother, Lisa King, replied.
In addition to winning an all-expense-paid five-day, four-night trip to New York, Kaylon also helped her school.
Crestline Elementary School, where Kaylon is a fifth grader, will receive a $1,000 grant for its music and arts program. Her teacher, Vicki Blankenship, recommended her for the Bravo contest.
Kaylon is the daughter of Charlie and Lisa King of Hartselle and the sister of Hunter. She is the granddaughter of Joe and Lynn Crow and Conrad and Geraldine King, and the great granddaughter of Anna May Crow, all of Hartselle.
She is currently rehearsing for an upcoming production at her school and frequently performs at The Princess Theatre in Decatur.