"​It is the mission of Lassen County Best of Broadway to organize and produce an annual public performance of Broadway hits with singing, dance forms and creative dramatics to  promote the arts in Lassen County."
 

A Brief History:​  

Susanville Best of Broadway was founded by Julie Newton in 1998 based on a similar program running in Sacramento, CA. Julie and her daughter Jessica went on to routinely produce a show for our community over the next 14 years. In 2013, the Newtons retired, passing on their responsibilities to Lisa Bernard. As the new Production Manager, Lisa continued to present our audience with an inspiring show, bringing us to the 20th anniversary production in 2019. That special show featured 20 songs from 20 different shows in an ambitious and nostalgic review. For the 2022 production, the reigns were passed to long-time Best of Broadway performer Emily Vorlicky. Best of Broadway has consistently grown in success, quality, and outreach over the years, reaching an average annual attendance of 1,400 community members. Due to its size, it has become the largest performing arts program in Lassen County. Best of Broadway is proud to have performed each and every year in our traditional venue - the Veterans Memorial Hall in Susanville, California. We would like to thank them for their support and continued use of their facilities!

Our Cast:

Best of Broadway (or 'BoB', as our team might say) has maintained around 130 amazing cast members annually, ranging in age from 6 to 70+. They take to the stage every March to be the face of our main performances. They devote a substantial amount of their time each week learning the basics of stage makeup, acting, singing, and dancing. In addition, many in the cast get engaged in other areas of our production as well as the fundraising efforts that make our show possible. 

Our Production Team:

A show takes so much more than what the audience sees on stage. The production team is composed of 50+ community members who donate their time to many vital aspects of our production. Our team oversees vocals, choreography, stage, lighting, sound, props, costumes and much more. They make up the backbone and framework of the show. Our organization operates on a volunteer basis, making their efforts all the more respectable. To our production team, Best of Broadway is a year round commitment to bring you an amazing show year after year. 

Community Involvement

& Spreading Our Love of the Arts:

Our organization looks to promote art in all forms and mediums. We are proud to support many other art programs in our community. We lend lighting, sound, costuming and prop support to events throughout Lassen County. Over the years we have brought aid to the Susanville Symphony, Susanville Choral Society, House of Dance/Dance Elevation, Joan’s Studio of Dance, JandJ Performing Arts, Lassen Family Services, Lassen High School and the Lassen County Arts Council. 

Bringing More Opportunities to Lassen County: 

Best of Broadway has broadened their scope by partnering with the Lassen County Arts Council to bring the Reno Dance Company to Susanville to perform “The Nutcracker Ballet”.  2019 marks the seventh year of Nutcracker performances.  Over one hundred local children get the opportunity to perform onstage alongside the professional dancers. In the Summer of 2022, Best of Broadway presented their first full production with "The Wizard of Oz" with plans to continue bringing this unique experience to Lassen County in the years to come.