Singing for the Stage: UVMC Student Macy Bettwieser Competes in Finals in New York

Upper Valley residents have been following the progress of Macy Bettwieser, an Upper Valley Music Center voice student of Julie Ness and a Hartford, Vermont resident, as she rises to the top three in Broadway World‘s Next On Stage competition for high schoolers.

Macy will travel to New York City on January 19 for a live performance to decide the winner of the competition’s fifth season. The grand prize is a scholarship that can be applied toward a music theatre degree program.

When asked if Macy has always liked to sing, her mother Anisha Bettwieser said, “Macy has been a singer from the time she could talk. She was constantly singing during her childhood. Her older brothers even made a rule that she wasn’t allowed to sing in the car because it was just too much.”

Macy caught the theater bug early — in fourth grade — at Dothan Brook Elementary under the direction of Lanni Luce West. She has been in productions at Artistree, Hartford Memorial Middle School, Hartford High School, North Country Community Theater, Trumbull Hall Troupe, and Northern Stage.

“One of her biggest roles was when she was cast as Louisa in ‘The Sound of Music’ at Northern Stage. She auditioned with more than 100 students and was excited to be included in her first professional show,” Anisha said.

After the closing of “The Sound of Music,” COVID shut down live theater. “We were looking for an option for Macy to continue singing while in lockdown and found Upper Valley Music Center was holding a Singing for the Stage class on Zoom,” Anisha said. “Macy participated in a couple sessions then transitioned into private lessons with Julie Ness.”

Macy and Julie have been working together for four years. “Julie has been an amazing vocal teacher for Macy. Her knowledge and professionalism have created an environment Macy has thrived in,” Anisha said. “Along with musical theater style repertoire, Macy has also been singing classically and has performed in the Upper Valley Music Center’s Messiah Sing for the last three years.”

Although Macy was busy with two local theater productions, Macy, a participant of Northern Stage’s YES Next Stage, received an email from Northern Stage about a vocal competition through Broadway World called Next on Stage. The competition was launched in 2020 “to shine a spotlight on young performers across the country who were otherwise sidelined” by the pandemic. Since Macy plans to pursue Musical Theatre after high school and had videos recorded for her college applications, she decided to submit a video.

“Being busy with two productions at once, Macy completely forgot about the competition and didn’t ask any friends or family to vote for her. Imagine her surprise when she learned she made the top 15 out of more than 250 applicants,” Anisha said.

From the top 15 to the top 3 Macy’s Upper Valley fan base helped her advance through multiple rounds and reach the finals.

“Andrea Nardone, Macy’s choir teacher at Hartford High School, stepped up to promote Macy and get her name out to the community. We saw an outpouring of support from every organization Macy’s ever been involved with, including UVMC,” Anisha said.

This competition offers Macy exposure in the Broadway world. “At the final concert, Macy will be heard by Broadway industry agents who could provide opportunities for her. Even if she doesn’t win the final prize, she has already gained a tremendous amount of publicity,” Ness said. “Also, she has had to absorb feedback from the judges and learn and record new material in a very short period of time for each of the rounds — a process that has given her a lot of confidence and a real sense of professionalism.”

UVMC is proud to be a part of Macy’s musical journey. “It takes a lot of hard work to make it to the finals of a national competition, and it’s been exciting to see how Macy has responded as an artist in each round,” said Ben Van Vliet, Executive Director at Upper Valley Music Center. “Being able to respond each week to feedback from judges is a testament to the technical and musical foundation she developed with the guidance of her teacher Julie.”

“When you have an organization like Upper Valley Music Center, you can provide opportunities for your kids in excess of what is offered in the schools,” Anisha said. “We have taken advantage of the Music Together classes and I’ve even joined the Community Chorus. One of my kids also had a short stint with cello lessons before switching to trombone. Music makes your kids smarter, instills hard work, and builds confidence. The Upper Valley Music Center is an invaluable addition to the Upper Valley.”

“UVMC offers top notch technical training. By providing performance opportunities, supporting students at All State and NEMFA and making tuition accessible to all, any student that wants to forge a professional path can find the support they need at UVMC,” Ness said.