Monday, August 14, 2006

Adam Pelty's new venture: Moveable Arts - Tamar Alexia Fleishman


When veteran Broadway star and choreographer Adam Pelty is not teaching at Interlochen Arts Center or playing the lead in shows such as Syncopation, he is dreaming up ways to help the community. He and two partners have just founded Moveable Arts, a nonprofit educational center that trains young adults for the business of being a Broadway performer. Moveable Arts differs from the traditional arts camps in several ways. First of all, its target student is a little older -- college aged and a bit beyond. Also, Moveable Arts takes aim at the practical business and living aspects of a Broadway career. Imagine for a moment that you have a big brother who was "in the business", and you get all the secret insider information.

All great performances require a splashy opening; brilliantly, Adam inaugurated Moveable Arts with a NYC "retreat". Students had to send in audition materials and only a select bunch were carefully chosen for the three day intensive workshop. Fifty of Broadway's hottest performers and backers were on hand to share their wisdom, including David Hyde Pierce.

I first met Adam in high school, at North Shore Country Day in Winnetka, Illinois. After he left for boarding school at Interlochen, we met up again at its summer camp. His father was one of Chicago's truly favorite entertainers, Lee Pelty. This opened up a bunch of opportunities for Adam. I can tell you, he was an "old soul", even as a baby-faced 14 year old. He was appearing in movies with Sean Penn. He was dancing in Chicago Ballet's Nutcracker. He sang the national anthem for his beloved Cubs. His buddies included "Taxi" theme song writer, Bob James. There were tales of women in their twenties chasing after him. When you think about what most boys are like at 14, it was easy to foresee that Adam Pelty would soon have the world at his feet. Adam is using his superpowers for good, and the world is a much nicer place for it.

To get in touch with Adam and find out more about Moveable Arts, check out www.moveablearts.org.