<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cWhether it\u2019s running a light or doing a jazz square, there is a place in a musical theater production for EVERY child,\u201d Ripley will tell you. \u00a0\u201cIt is inevitably the child who played the role of \u2018tree\u2019 who recounts years later that it was one of the most memorable experiences of his life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now collaborating with partners including The White House, NBC, and The Kennedy Center, Ripley exhibits the same passion and commitment to being a national educational consultant as she brought to her 33 year career as a vocal educator and music department chair of the Gowanda Central School district in rural Western New York State.<\/p>\n
\u201cStudent musical theater performances are not about creating the stars of tomorrow, they allow young people to learn important life skills and an appreciation of the arts by working together toward the common goal of presenting a musical.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Gowanda, she produced and directed over 100 productions, compensating for her lack of a budget with creativity and enthusiasm.\u00a0 Her dedication and passion ignited the imaginations of countless students and parents.\u00a0 These humble musical theater productions blossomed into a dynamic multi-school program which received a \u201cfootball game\u201d response from the community.<\/p>\n
Her work caught the eye of theater impresario Freddie Gershon, head of the leading musical theatre licensing firm Music Theater International (MTI).\u00a0 Alarmed that the next generation of theater goers and artists was being lost to budget cuts and video games, Gershon founded the first-ever educational division at a musical theater licensing firm. He tapped Ripley to assist MTI\u2019s team in developing versions of musicals for young people to perform, as well as corresponding director resources, including a director\u2019s guide, choreography DVDs and a music CD with rehearsal and performance tracks.<\/p>\n
Today, the division has grown to include more than 60 titles and, in addition to her ongoing work consulting with MTI, Ripley gives advice and support to directors worldwide through the company\u2019s MTI Show Support, a social networking site for theatre people.<\/p>\n
Eventually MTI\u2019s educational division became so successful that it spun off into its own independent company: the educational musical theater consultancy firm iTheatrics. Ripley became iTheatrics\u2019 educational consultant and has been integral in helping the company create quality and sustainable musical theater programs for a variety of partners in the private and public sector.<\/p>\n
Through iTheatrics, Ripley serves as one of the company\u2019s teaching artists for The President\u2019s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH)\u2019s Turnaround Arts initiative which uses the arts to help turn around low-performing schools.\u00a0 Ripley worked with students from\u00a0<\/span>Bridgeport<\/em>\u00a0Connecticut\u2019s Roosevelt School as they prepared to perform for First Lady Michelle Obama at The White House\u2019s first-ever talent show, which was also attended by President Barrack Obama.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crps-1-5.jpg” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”crps-1-5″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ align=”center”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|0px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cI have always believed that if you set high expectations \u2013 combined with love and humor \u2013 students will achieve them. I have never been disappointed,\u201d says Ripley.<\/p>\n
Just as one can\u2019t stage a musical from one\u2019s desk, Ripley and the iTheatrics team have designed a series\u00a0of dynamic workshops that have educators and students singing, dancing and acting their way through learning how to create student-driven musical theater programs.\u00a0 They\u2019ve offered these at dozens of performing arts centers across the country, as well as on behalf of the New York City Department of Education, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Educational Theatre Association, and, most recently, for the 35 educators representing the next class of President\u2019s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities Turnaround Arts schools.<\/p>\n
When producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron looked to create a charity affiliated with Smash, the NBC show about Broadway, iTheatrics placed Ripley at the forefront of the resulting Smash Make a Musical program.\u00a0 During the show\u2019s two year run, Ripley and the fellow iTheatrics teaching artists went directly into schools to train and empower educators to build self-sustaining theater programs.<\/p>\n
Serving on the board of Shea\u2019s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, NY, Ripley has been a catalyst for the inaugural Shea\u2019s Performing Arts Center Junior Theater Celebration. At the 2014 event, Broadway professionals -including Tony-nominated songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (A Christmas Story, The Musical!<\/i>, Roald Dahl\u2019s\u00a0James and the Giant Peach, La La Land, The Greatest Showman)-\u00a0<\/span><\/em>joined 350 local students and teachers in a dynamic day of workshop, professional development and student presentations.<\/p>\nFrom the makeshift stage she started her program on in Gowanda to the Broadway boards she now treads with the next generation, Ripley stays true to her belief that all individuals are inherently creative.\u00a0 Student by student, school by school, community by community, she is showing how offering arts opportunities to students makes the world a better place.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crps-1-6.jpg” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”crps-1-6″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_testimonial author=”-MECA summer workshop participant, Vandercook College” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
“The planning the instructor put into the course was evident. Each activity was built on knowledge gained from the previous day. Cindy was incredibly knowledgeable about the subject matter and provided personal examples to help us learn the material. Best class I have taken as far as planning, effectiveness of organization and instructor enthusiasm for the material.”<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”-Staff development workshop participant, Kenmore Public Schools” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\u201cI really feel as if I can use these tools the minute I return to the classroom. It was great to be taught by an instructor that loves the field and still has such a positive attitude.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”-Teacher Intensive workshop participant, NYC” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\u201cI know feel like I can take a new set of tools and help my students create more artistic musical theater experiences!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”-McGraw Hill teacher workshop, Birmingham, AL” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Cindy was very \u201ckid-centered\u201d and taught me how to make sure my rehearsals stay \u201ckid centered\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”-CASDA workshop participant, Albany, NY” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
“I valued a presenter with so much experience! I walked away with terms, tools and confidence!<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cynthia (Cindy) Ripley believes in the power of musical theater. \u201cWhether it\u2019s running a light or doing a jazz square, there is a place in a musical theater production for EVERY child,\u201d Ripley will tell you. \u00a0\u201cIt is inevitably the child who played the role of \u2018tree\u2019 who recounts years later that it was one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-53","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=53"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=53"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cWhether it\u2019s running a light or doing a jazz square, there is a place in a musical theater production for EVERY child,\u201d Ripley will tell you. \u00a0\u201cIt is inevitably the child who played the role of \u2018tree\u2019 who recounts years later that it was one of the most memorable experiences of his life.\u201d<\/p>\nNow collaborating with partners including The White House, NBC, and The Kennedy Center, Ripley exhibits the same passion and commitment to being a national educational consultant as she brought to her 33 year career as a vocal educator and music department chair of the Gowanda Central School district in rural Western New York State.<\/p>\n\u201cStudent musical theater performances are not about creating the stars of tomorrow, they allow young people to learn important life skills and an appreciation of the arts by working together toward the common goal of presenting a musical.\u201d<\/p>\nIn Gowanda, she produced and directed over 100 productions, compensating for her lack of a budget with creativity and enthusiasm.\u00a0 Her dedication and passion ignited the imaginations of countless students and parents.\u00a0 These humble musical theater productions blossomed into a dynamic multi-school program which received a \u201cfootball game\u201d response from the community.<\/p>\nHer work caught the eye of theater impresario Freddie Gershon, head of the leading musical theatre licensing firm Music Theater International (MTI).\u00a0 Alarmed that the next generation of theater goers and artists was being lost to budget cuts and video games, Gershon founded the first-ever educational division at a musical theater licensing firm. He tapped Ripley to assist MTI\u2019s team in developing versions of musicals for young people to perform, as well as corresponding director resources, including a director\u2019s guide, choreography DVDs and a music CD with rehearsal and performance tracks.<\/p>\nToday, the division has grown to include more than 60 titles and, in addition to her ongoing work consulting with MTI, Ripley gives advice and support to directors worldwide through the company\u2019s MTI Show Support, a social networking site for theatre people.<\/p>\nEventually MTI\u2019s educational division became so successful that it spun off into its own independent company: the educational musical theater consultancy firm iTheatrics. Ripley became iTheatrics\u2019 educational consultant and has been integral in helping the company create quality and sustainable musical theater programs for a variety of partners in the private and public sector.<\/p>\nThrough iTheatrics, Ripley serves as one of the company\u2019s teaching artists for The President\u2019s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH)\u2019s Turnaround Arts initiative which uses the arts to help turn around low-performing schools.\u00a0 Ripley worked with students from\u00a0<\/span>Bridgeport<\/em>\u00a0Connecticut\u2019s Roosevelt School as they prepared to perform for First Lady Michelle Obama at The White House\u2019s first-ever talent show, which was also attended by President Barrack Obama.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crps-1-5.jpg” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”crps-1-5″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″ align=”center”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|0px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\u00a0\u201cI have always believed that if you set high expectations \u2013 combined with love and humor \u2013 students will achieve them. I have never been disappointed,\u201d says Ripley.<\/p>\nJust as one can\u2019t stage a musical from one\u2019s desk, Ripley and the iTheatrics team have designed a series\u00a0of dynamic workshops that have educators and students singing, dancing and acting their way through learning how to create student-driven musical theater programs.\u00a0 They\u2019ve offered these at dozens of performing arts centers across the country, as well as on behalf of the New York City Department of Education, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Educational Theatre Association, and, most recently, for the 35 educators representing the next class of President\u2019s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities Turnaround Arts schools.<\/p>\nWhen producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron looked to create a charity affiliated with Smash, the NBC show about Broadway, iTheatrics placed Ripley at the forefront of the resulting Smash Make a Musical program.\u00a0 During the show\u2019s two year run, Ripley and the fellow iTheatrics teaching artists went directly into schools to train and empower educators to build self-sustaining theater programs.<\/p>\nServing on the board of Shea\u2019s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, NY, Ripley has been a catalyst for the inaugural Shea\u2019s Performing Arts Center Junior Theater Celebration. At the 2014 event, Broadway professionals -including Tony-nominated songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (A Christmas Story, The Musical!<\/i>, Roald Dahl\u2019s\u00a0James and the Giant Peach, La La Land, The Greatest Showman)-\u00a0<\/span><\/em>joined 350 local students and teachers in a dynamic day of workshop, professional development and student presentations.<\/p>\nFrom the makeshift stage she started her program on in Gowanda to the Broadway boards she now treads with the next generation, Ripley stays true to her belief that all individuals are inherently creative.\u00a0 Student by student, school by school, community by community, she is showing how offering arts opportunities to students makes the world a better place.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/crps-1-6.jpg” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”crps-1-6″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_testimonial author=”-MECA summer workshop participant, Vandercook College” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n“The planning the instructor put into the course was evident. Each activity was built on knowledge gained from the previous day. Cindy was incredibly knowledgeable about the subject matter and provided personal examples to help us learn the material. Best class I have taken as far as planning, effectiveness of organization and instructor enthusiasm for the material.”<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”-Staff development workshop participant, Kenmore Public Schools” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\u201cI really feel as if I can use these tools the minute I return to the classroom. It was great to be taught by an instructor that loves the field and still has such a positive attitude.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”-Teacher Intensive workshop participant, NYC” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n\u201cI know feel like I can take a new set of tools and help my students create more artistic musical theater experiences!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”-McGraw Hill teacher workshop, Birmingham, AL” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nCindy was very \u201ckid-centered\u201d and taught me how to make sure my rehearsals stay \u201ckid centered\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_testimonial author=”-CASDA workshop participant, Albany, NY” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n“I valued a presenter with so much experience! I walked away with terms, tools and confidence!<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cynthia (Cindy) Ripley believes in the power of musical theater. \u201cWhether it\u2019s running a light or doing a jazz square, there is a place in a musical theater production for EVERY child,\u201d Ripley will tell you. \u00a0\u201cIt is inevitably the child who played the role of \u2018tree\u2019 who recounts years later that it was one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-53","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=53"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyripley.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=53"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20220101041017\/http:\/\/buscemiphoto.com\/cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/shapeimage_2.png\"){kind=link}