43
Local resident working towards dreams of Broadway
Photo
Neighbors | Submitted.Julia Cooper, a resident of Poland, was one of 40 national students chosen to participate in the National Songbook Academy summer intensive program.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Julia Cooper is a 17-year-old Poland resident who is attending Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School to pursue a career in musical theater.
Cooper has been singing since she was 5-years-old and has been performing at local community theaters in places like New Castle and Salem. One of Cooper’s friends from the theater told her about Lincoln Park and piqued her interest.
Cooper had to audition to be accepted into Lincoln Park. She is now approaching her senior year at the school and is preparing to audition for colleges to pursue a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in musical theater. College auditions begin in January and Cooper has been spending her summer making sure she is prepared. Cooper has been selected as a national finalist to participate in the Great American Songbook Academy in Indiana. Cooper is also attending a two-week ArtsBridge summer intensive program for the second year in a row at DePaul University.
“If I get into a show, I’m at school from 8 in the morning to 9:30 at night. It does get tiring after awhile, but it’s so worth it. Especially when the end product is this big show you get to show everyone,” said Cooper.
Cooper participates in at least 10 shows a year at Lincoln Park. She explained that getting into a show is hard as a freshman, but as the students get more experience and involvement, it’s easier to become part of the show.
“After college I plan to move to New York City. The goal is to be on Broadway, that’s my main goal,” said Cooper.
Cooper has been raising money for her summer intensives with ticket sales, raffle baskets during the shows and a GoFundMe page for those who can’t attend Cooper’s shows. Cooper put together a show of her singing and a piano with interludes of concert in between. Cooper uses the show as a fundraiser to help her pay for the summer intensives.