Our “Get to Know the Show” program has been a key component to the Education Department at Blumenthal Performing Arts for 7 seasons. We aim to provide information on upcoming touring productions beyond what our audience would learn from their playbill, and it can be a challenge to find a presenter who is both knowledgeable and entertaining. Luckily for us, we found Dr. Broadway! It is so encouraging to find someone who is passionate about musical theater and is fascinated by the history surrounding each production. Our “Get to Know the Show” audience has asked for us to bring her back for future shows, and we look forward to doing just that!
Kristin’s work as dramaturg and guest lecturer has contributed immensely to our students and patrons during the Furman Theatre season. She takes the time to carefully craft engaging and interactive pre-show conversations that provide context to productions and excitement in our audiences. “Dr. Broadway” is a fantastic addition to a theatre’s programming!
Kristin Pressley is an absolute gem. Her love and knowledge of theatre radiates from her as she speaks to any crowd. Her presentation on Dorothy Fields for the Greenville County Library was one of the best programs I produced during my time there.
Dr. Broadway led an engaging and informative post-show discussion following a production of GODSPELL that I directed at Clemson University. The show’s cast and members of the audience were able to glean so much information from her in a mere hour. I was especially impressed at how she shared both musical theatre history and the history of GODSPELL itself with a tremendous command of the topic coupled with a relatability and sense of humor that made the audience learn and enjoy all at once.
Kristin Pressley is a true expert when it comes to discussing musical theatre history. She possesses a wealth of knowledge about the art form that makes her a superb lecturer and dynamic facilitator, and she brings an enthusiasm to our pre-show conversations that have made them a must-attend experience for our Broadway patrons. Whether in front of students or adults, I am always confident that Kristin will prepare audiences for performances in the best possible way.
Kristin Pressley is a thorough theatre history scholar, an engaging speaker, and an excellent teacher. She is a walking music theatre encyclopedia, whose specialty is Dorothy Fields and the Golden Age of the American musical. Kristin is a vivacious, dependable colleague, and I look forward to our next opportunity to work together!
As a thank you to our loyal patrons for 20 Years of Broadway at The Classic Center, our team enlisted Kristin’s services in adding value to our subscriber packages. To celebrate each show in our series, Kristin crafted insightful playbill content which added tremendous value in connecting to our audience but also, our playbill advertisers. Her creative and fresh approach to the playbills, as well as the spoken “Classic Conversations” pieces before each opening, allowed us to provide a more rich experience for each show. We found our patrons gravitating to these pre show “Classic Conversations” to hear what Kristin’s inside scoop would showcase for that evening’s performance. She effortlessly guided our patrons through interesting facts, mysteries or even legends about the history of the show, the costumes or cast members. Our Broadway family sincerely gives Kristin Pressley a standing ovation for her performance with us.