Published: May 24, 2009 09:18 am      

Lewis joins Texas State Musical Theatre program

San Marcos — Broadway veteran Robin Lewis will join recently announced faculty hires Kailtin Hopkins and Jim Price in the Musical Theatre Program at Texas State University.

Lewis will be a per course faculty member teaching musical theatre dance.

“In assembling the musical theatre faculty, I think Robin is the perfect complement to Kaitlin and Jim,” Texas State Theatre Chair John Fleming said. “As a dancer and dance captain, Robin has worked with some of Broadway’s most acclaimed directors and choreographers (Susan Stroman, Ann Reinking). The addition of Robin to our program means that our students will receive top-level musical theatre dance training.”

Lewis is a veteran of several Broadway stage productions including Disney’s Beauty & the Beast (dance captain), A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden (dance captain), and Fosse (including the film version) with Ben Vereen and Ann Reinking. Additional credits include the Off-Broadway production of The Green Heart as well as the first national Broadway touring production of Mel Brooks’ The Producers starring Jason Alexander and Martin Short.

“Combined, Kaitlin, Jim and Robin have over 60 years of professional experience, and it is exciting to see their commitment to building a first-rate program that trains the next generation of musical theatre performers. For all three of them, it’s about the students and how can we best prepare them for the profession,” Fleming said.

In addition to his time on the boards, Lewis has choreographed for the Oklahoma Lyric Opera, Zachary Scott Theater Center (for which he’s received multiple B. Iden Payne and Austin Critics’ Circle Awards), Zilker Productions and TexARTS (Critics Circle Award-winner).

Lewis was also voted “Best in Austin” for his choreography, and “Keeper of the Fosse Flame” by the Austin Chronicle.

New Program Head Kaitlin Hopkins recently said, “When I was asked to head the Musical Theatre Program at Texas State, I could see we had the support to do things a little outside the box and could explore new and innovative ways to train young theatre artists to enter the professional world. The addition of Robin Lewis to our team crystallizes that vision.”

Lewis also serves as Artistic Director of TexARTS in Austin. TexArts has been chronicled as “One to Watch” by Austin publications for its quality of production and educational programming.

“It just makes sense that the State of Texas – with such an abundance of talented young people – should have a nationally-recognized university program for musical theater,” Lewis said. “Having been able to share my love and passion for musical theater on Broadway and elsewhere, it’s now such a thrill to be able to give back and share what I know with the next generations of performers here at Texas State.”

Lewis has taught for the University of Texas at Austin, Saint Edward’s University and has been a guest lecturer for American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensives, Ballet Austin, the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Oklahoma University, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Camp Broadway in NYC, US Performing Arts Camp and others nation wide. He has also been a guest teacher for, and holds membership with, the Musical Theater Educators Alliance and the Texas Educational Theatre Association among others. He is also a member of Actor’s Equity.

For information about the Texas State University Musical Theatre Program, go to www.theatreanddance.txstate.edu.