The Palace Theatre Unveils Acclaimed Broadway Teaching Team for 2026 Broadway to the Palace Artist Retreat
Director of Marketing & Patron Experience
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Headlining this year’s faculty is Tony Award® and Grammy Award®-nominated actress Micaela Diamond, whose critically acclaimed performances in Parade and The Cher Show have established her as one of Broadway’s brightest stars. She is joined by acclaimed Broadway music director Emily Marshall, whose credits span Broadway productions, international concert tours, and live-to-picture orchestral performances around the world.
Also joining the teaching team is Westmoreland County native and accomplished performer Mandie Patsy, whose extensive musical theatre career includes The Producers, Young Frankenstein, My Fair Lady, Legally Blonde, Chicago, and numerous productions at The Palace Theatre. The retreat is led by award-winning director and educator Nick Lenz, Education & Engagement Manager for The Academy at Westmoreland Cultural Trust.
“For aspiring performers, opportunities like this typically require traveling to New York City or another major metropolitan area,” said Lenz. “We’re proud to bring current Broadway professionals to Greensburg, where participants can receive world-class training, meaningful mentorship, and an authentic look at today’s professional theatre industry—all in an intimate environment that allows for genuine collaboration and personal growth.”
Unlike large conventions or performance camps, Broadway to the Palace is intentionally designed as a small, highly selective artist retreat. Enrollment is limited to just 30 participants, allowing each artist to work closely with the teaching faculty through individualized coaching, masterclasses, rehearsals, and collaborative creative work.
Throughout the week, participants will receive intensive instruction in acting, voice, movement, and musical theatre performance while gaining valuable insight into audition preparation, career development, industry expectations, and sustainable artistry. The retreat culminates with a public showcase performance at 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 8, on the historic Palace Theatre stage, where participants will perform alongside the Broadway teaching artists.
Showcase tickets and additional information are available at:
tinyurl.com/b2p2026performance
Diamond will lead masterclasses, coach solo and ensemble repertoire, and mentor participants throughout the creative process. Widely recognized for her performances in Parade opposite Ben Platt and The Cher Show, she has also appeared in Here We Are, The Seat of Our Pants, Mass, Row, A Play Is a Poem, Grotesquerie, Elsbeth, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, tick, tick… BOOM!, and Up Here.
Marshall brings an extraordinary résumé as a Broadway music director, conductor, keyboardist, arranger, and producer. Her Broadway credits include Be More Chill, Jagged Little Pill, Head Over Heels, Elf, School of Rock, Mean Girls, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Waitress, while her international conducting career has taken her to more than 40 states and numerous countries across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. She currently serves as Music Director and Supervisor for several internationally touring concert productions.
Returning to Western Pennsylvania, Patsy offers participants both Broadway-caliber expertise and local roots. A Norwin graduate, she has built an impressive career performing, directing, and choreographing throughout the country while remaining an active artist at The Palace Theatre. Her dance and musical theatre masterclasses will draw from her extensive professional experience and passion for arts education.
Now in its second year, Broadway to the Palace continues to build on its mission of providing pre-professional performers and working artists with access to current industry professionals in a focused educational setting. The retreat is open to artists ages 16 and older and is designed for students preparing for collegiate performing arts programs, emerging professionals, and experienced performers seeking continued artistic growth.
The total tuition is $550 and includes daily lunch, professional headshots, performance photography, and high-quality performance footage suitable for portfolios and prescreens. Scholarships are available through The Rising Artist Scholarship Fund based on artistic merit and/or financial need.
Registration is currently open. Additional information and online registration are available at:
https://tinyurl.com/b2p2026register
About Broadway to the Palace
Broadway to the Palace is an immersive, week-long artist retreat presented by The Academy at the Westmoreland Cultural Trust. Designed to mirror the pace, discipline, and collaborative spirit of the professional performing arts industry, the retreat provides intensive training, personalized mentorship, and career-focused education led by current Broadway professionals.
About Westmoreland Cultural Trust (WCT)
Westmoreland Cultural Trust is a Greensburg, PA-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to be a conduit for communities to thrive. We do so by welcoming broad forms of artistic expression, forging purposeful partnerships and programming meaningful arts education and engagement activities. We seek to engage, empower, and serve the community through consequential programming, arts education, and cultural experiences for all.
More information about WCT can be found at: www.westmorelandculturaltrust.org
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