ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Pre-pandemic, Winthrop University’s Taylor Goodwin performed in a Charlotte Squawks performance at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte. She was the youngest to be cast, while others had been working for several years, which was a little intimidating.
“I truly love every chance I get to perform,” said Goodwin, a senior theatre major from Columbia. “What I loved about the Squawks, though, is that it was my first professional experience. But it was also just so much fun because we performed six nights a week for almost two months, and it gave me a taste of what my life would be like in the future.”
Now, Goodwin is on the national stage: she is one of only 24 students nationwide selected for the semifinals of the 2022 NATS National Musical Theatre Competition (NMTC) semifinals. The competition is the premier event for emerging professional musical theatre artists. Past winners have developed industry connections and gone on to successful careers in Broadway and other venues. First place includes more than $5,000 in prizes and a concert at the 57th NATS National Conference in Chicago.
Goodwin will travel to New York to compete in the semifinals in January 2022. Her Winthrop family will be cheering her on virtually!
To compete, Goodwin had to submit three songs demonstrating her full ability in musical theatre, focusing on contrast and variety. She chose “Home” from “The Wiz”; “Music That Makes Me Dance” from “Funny Girl”; and “The Love Left Behind” from “My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend.”
Goodwin has always loved to sing.
“As a young child, I sang in church in the kids’ choir and I was also in the Richland District One honors choir,” she said. “In middle school, I started dancing too. At the same time, I was growing up watching shows on Disney and Nickelodeon and shows like ‘Glee’ where they would be singing and dancing. That’s when I discovered the world of musical theatre. When I got to high school, I really fell in love with performing and being on stage just felt like home, so I knew when I went to college I wanted to major in musical theatre.”
In addition to her NMTC semifinalist status, Goodwin also just captured the top prize in the South Carolina chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing’s African American Composer category, for which she also performed “Home.” You can watch her audition here.
But next on her horizon: December Commencement!
“I want to hit the ground running and just audition as much as possible for as many things as I can,” Goodwin said. “Ideally, I want to book a few national/international tours for musicals so that I can travel, save money, network and gain experience. Broadway, of course, is the goal, but I would love to see the world while being paid for doing what I love.”
For more information on Winthrop’s musical theatre specialization, visit the website or contact Theatre and Dance Chair Daniel Gordon at 803/323-2287 or gordond@winthrop.edu.
