Maddie Baillio is indeed young, but she is not an inexperienced performer or actress. She was the 2014 winner of the Songbook Academy, a national program for high school vocalists that was founded by Michael Feinstein. Over the past two years Maddie has performed around the country with symphonies and big bands at venues including Carnegie Hall, Birdland, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. Next month, she'll be singing with the Pasadena Pops under Michael's direction. In addition to these accolades, she has played leading roles in multiple productions at Merrymount Manhattan College in New York, where she studies theater.
While Maddie is not *yet* a household name, she is a brilliantly gifted young artist who has already accomplished incredible things in her not-quite-twenty years. You are going to LOVE her in HAIRSPRAY LIVE!, and I believe you will see a lot of her in the years to come. She is truly special.
We at the Great American Songbook Foundation are very proud of the success Maddie has achieved, as well as other past winners like Julia Goodwin and Nick Ziobro who have gained wide acclaim. To learn more about the Songbook Academy and our other programs, visit us online at TheSongbook.org or check us out on Facebook.
Chris Brush
The Great American Songbook Foundation
Christopher Brush, Program Coordinator | The Great American Songbook Foundation