Naperville, IL

(630) 243-5100

Same Programming, New Name! Academy of the Arts is now Illinois Conservatory for the Arts

Join Us:

IMAGINE: An Evening of Inspiration

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Registration Open:

THE STUDIO: Session 2

Nov. 6 - Dec. 18

Coming up:

IMPACT: Musical Theatre

Winter | January 2-5, 2025

A brand-new show based on the life of entrepreneur Joy Mangano will have its world premiere on December 7th. Opening at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Jersey, Joy the Musical will feature none other than Mean Girls actress Erika Henningsen in the title role. With a cast including several Broadway alums, this definitely looks like the show to watch.

The uplifting true story is about one woman’s triumphant climb from divorce to single motherhood and bankruptcy, to becoming the wildly successful dynamo that all started with the invention of the Miracle Mop. Movie lovers will recall that Jennifer Lawrence played the title role in 2015 earning her an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe. Could a Tony be in Erika’s future? Only time will tell.

Erika has a special place in the hearts of Academy of the Arts students. Last July she led a masterclass at our Impact Musical Theater camp and we wish her luck as she brings Joy to theatergoers this winter.

In real life Erika couldn’t be more different to Cady Heron, the character who earned her a Critics Circle nomination when she originated the role in Mean Girls: The Musical on Broadway. Rather than trying to destroy people like the most popular girl in school, Regina George, she loves to build them up by offering master classes around the country.

We asked her how she landed the role and why she loves to teach.

“When I was called back for Mean Girls, I was told they wanted to hear a pop song from Cady, not a song from the show,” she told the enthusiastic class in a Q and A session. “So I thought about what song a girl who was brought up in Africa with parents from the Sixties would pick. Someone sweet, intense and strong so I picked the Rolling Stones Ruby Tuesday and You Don’t Own Me.”

Erika explained that being chosen for a show is like being a puzzle piece.

“All of the Plastics were four inches taller than me, so I looked more vulnerable standing next to them,” she said.

However, today the trend is more like anyone can sing any role.

“Don’t feel bound to certain things because of what you look like,” she said. “There’s more out there for you.”

For Erika, teaching is a labor of love.

“It’s the thing I do in between being an actor and it’s just as much a part of my identity,” she said after class. “It helps me think on my feet and problem solve. It helps me stay alert.”

Erika was impressed not only by the talent in the classroom, but how quickly the students became supportive of one another despite the wide range of age and experience.

“At the end of the day, whether you’re in 12th Grade to college age or first grade to sixth, the basics still apply,” she said. “The incentives may be greater for 12th graders, but sixth graders generally show less fear and they can learn from each other. Everything has to come from joy.”

Erika brings a huge amount of positive energy to the room.

“It’s just about getting them up on their feet,” she explained. She believes the worst thing she could do is to stop a child who is off key or who loses their way in a song.

“If you put ideas in their head they’ll never come back,” she said. “If I only have each one for six minutes, I want to give the most I can out of that experience. If we harp on about what they’re doing wrong or lacking in, they will never build confidence to turn up in class. I always encourage them so they don’t quit before they’ve started.”

JANUARY 2–5, 2025

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IMPACT is popular and fills up fast! You'll be forwarded to the registration form to grab your spot.

Chaz Wolcott / Dance

Chaz Wolcott is an actor, director and choreographer based in New York City, and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. He earned his BFA in Dance from Oklahoma City University.

As a performer, Chaz has been seen as Buttons on the First National Tour of Disney’s Newsies. You can also catch Chaz’s performance in Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical, available for digital download on iTunes and Amazon. Chaz also starred in the 30th Anniversary Tour of Cats as the Magical Mr. Mistoffelees. Chaz was featured on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance. Favorite regional credits include: 42nd Street (Andy Lee), Mary Poppins, Gypsy, Legally Blonde and productions at Music Theatre of Wichita, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, The Gateway, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Fulton Theatre, The Fireside, Casa Mañana, Westchester Broadway Theatre, Gretna Theatre and more.

Emily Kristen Morris / Voice

Emily Kristen Morris is an NYC-based actor, singer, dancer, certified vocal instructor, and popular online content creator (1.7 Million followers on TikTok). Emily has performed across the nation and internationally, and was most recently the Elphaba standby on the Broadway national tour of WICKED. Currently, Emily is starring as Elsa in Paramount Theatre’s production of Frozen. Her past theatre credits include: Bea in the national tour of Something Rotten, White Plains Performing Arts Center (Daisy in Side Show), The Rev (Sophie in Mamma Mia), Cape Playhouse, the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra (Nellie in South Pacific in concert), Gateway Playhouse, Weston Playhouse, and New York Musical Theatre Festival. Emily has also performed as a solo vocalist with symphony orchestras, including the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra in China, and the Norwalk Symphony. Her voice is also featured on Joey Contreras’ new album “In Pieces.” On social media Emily is popular for her voice-teaching videos, her singing covers, and her vocal-coach-reacts videos. When she’s not performing, Emily runs her highly sought-after voice studio, EKM Vocal Studio, where she teaches lessons, masterclasses and workshops to passionate singers both virtually and in-person in NYC. Emily is certified through the Institute For Vocal Advancement (IVA), and received her BFA in musical theatre from the University of Cincinnati; College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

Salisha Thomas / Acting

SALISHA Thomas is a Broadway performer, author, former Miss California, a commercial and voiceover artist, a producer and director, vlogger, blogger, and media personality. She performed in the 1st National Touring and Broadway companies of Beautiful the Carole King Musical, and the Britney Spears Musical: Once Upon a One More Time. She’s the host of Black Hair in the Big Leagues and The Salisha Show podcasts and the red carpet correspondent for The Broadway Podcast Network. @theSalishashow www.thesalishashow.com

Patrick Maravilla / Casting

Born and raised in California, Patrick started as a performer but quickly fell in love with casting. As a Pisces with a Taurus moon, he aims to bring joy and light to the table while cultivating an inclusive and equitable space. Some of his favorite casting credits include Chicago, A Wonderful World, Peter Pan (National Tour), Gatsby, Life of Pi, Destiny of Desire, and Come Fall in Love!

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The Pilot Program for ICA’s K-12 day school is launching Fall 2025.

Fill out the form below to get on the official interest list and access the survey form. Applications will open in Early Spring 2025.