Celebrate Student Performing Arts at Carnegie Hall!

Who can perform? Any Penn student performing arts group who has not performed in the past two years of Carnegie Hall shows is eligible to apply. Past shows have included dance, a cappella, instrumental music, musical theatre and short theatre scenes, sketch comedy, and spoken word – however, student performing arts groups of all genres and practices are invited! Please note that there are significant limitations to the amount of scenic items, stage transition time, and amplified sound setup that are feasible on the Zankel Hall stage. For bands and theatre troupes, this may require modifications from your usual show configurations or styles. Please be in touch with us at platthouse@pobox.upenn.edu so that we can explain how these limitations might affect your proposed performance before you submit your application.

What is the time commitment? This event will take place on Friday, December 8th, 2023. Performers will be bussed to New York in the late morning and will return on buses late that evening. Please note that December 8 is during the last full week of classes and the last weekend of the PAC show season. If your group schedules afternoon or evening performances that day, you may be ineligible to attend this year. There will always be next year! If you are not sure whether the timing of your show makes your group ineligible, please contact Platt House at platthouse@pobox.upenn.edu.
Your group members may also have other commitments conflicting with this date. Please poll your members for their availability before submitting your application.  Keep in mind that Carnegie’s Zankel Hall limits us to 18 performers on the stage at a time, so larger groups might not be performing with their full membership.

What are the obligations of participating? The 5-7 groups who are selected for this event will be required to help market this so that their alumni, families, and peers are in the audience. This will be an active effort to develop contact lists and reach out to prospective ticketbuyers. Please read the application thoroughly and make sure your group is prepared to meet these responsibilities.  

What are the COVID safety measures for the event? It is still too early to know what to expect for transmission rates, infection levels, and safety measures in December. However, the COVID policies will be aligned with both Penn’s and Carnegia Hall’s safety protocols. During high-transmission timeframes in the past, this has included all audience members and performers presenting vaccine cards and performers presenting proof of a negative PCR test before the event.

What is the timeline for application? The application for a performance slot is due Wednesday, June 14th, 2023. Please contact us as early as possible if your group may need an extension. After review by a committee comprised of current staff, producers, and alumni, applicants will be notified of the results by mid-August.

What if I have more questions? Contact platthouse@pobox.upenn.edu with your questions. Make sure your group has updated PAC-Rep listserv contacts to make sure you stay in the loop.