The Limelight Awaits!
After nearly two decades of classes exclusively at The Performing Arts Connection in Sudbury, Massachusetts, Little Limelight is finally available nationwide! We are thrilled to share this unique and groundbreaking Musical Theater program with you!
As a five-year-old watching the movie "Annie" for the first time, Samantha Bower knew instantly she wanted to be a star. Her mom signed her up for an acting class and she was hooked! Years later, Samantha's love of performing remained strong, but a new calling was emerging: teaching theater to young people. She started her first theater company at age 14 and opened The Performing Arts Connection, a full-service dance and theater studio based in Massachusetts, eight years later.
The Little Limelight program is a love letter to starry-eyed children everywhere who dream of the limelight, as well as to every child who is looking for a place to feel seen, valued, and included. Each class has been carefully developed over the past 20 years and is a bright and balanced blend of acting, singing, and dancing. Our program was designed so that caring adults with a heart for teaching young people can pick up a lesson and teach a great class, regardless of previous theater experience. We break down every lesson plan by the minute to ensure your program runs smoothly and efficiently. While our lesson plans are designed to be "plug-and-play," there is ample opportunity for creativity and flexibility within the course framework.
By adding Musical Theater to your early childhood program or dance studio, you'll not only have an opportunity to increase revenue, but you'll also be able to change the life of a child for the better!
Children who take theater classes are likely to gain 21st century skills such as communication, creativity, imagination, problem solving, and collaboration. We're on a mission to help you help your students thrive and grow on stage and in life!
.png)
.png)
About the Founder
.png)
Samantha Bower is an award-winning teacher, producer, coach, entrepreneur, and proud mother of three boys ages 11, 8 and 4. She founded her first theater company at age 14 and holds a B.A. in Theater Education from Wagner College. The 2021 recipient of Businessperson of the Year from the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Samm established The Performing Arts Connection, a theater and dance studio for all ages, in Sudbury, MA in 2007. Years of development went into what is now Little Limelight, a Musical Theater curriculum for ages 3-7. Samm has been teaching Little Limelight Musical Theater for over 15 years.
Born and raised in Sudbury, Massachusetts, Samm has been coaching young performers for over 24 years. In 1998, as a freshman in high school, Samm founded The Friends of Broadway (FOB), a service-based traveling musical group that performs at venues all over the country. The Friends of Broadway has lent their talents to nursing homes, hospitals, charities such as The Jimmy Fund and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to name a few. It was through the work with FOB that Samm discovered her true passion and purpose: working with young people in theater. In addition to FOB, Samm founded Metrowest Family Theater (MFT) at age 16 and has directed over 25 musicals and plays with MFT since 2000.
In addition to her work with FOB, MFT, and TPAC, Samm has collaborated with Rounder Records ("Girl Authority", Executive Producer) and SteveSongs on various recording projects in the children's music industry. Over the years, Samm's students have appeared in regional theater, in national recording/commercial/film/TV projects, on national tours and on Broadway. She enjoys collaborating on many TPAC projects with her husband, John, a vocal coach and music director at the studio and Head of the Middle School at the Rivers School in Weston, Massachusetts.
In her free time, Samm serves on the board of HOPEsudbury, an organization dedicated to engaging the people of Sudbury in community-wide efforts to provide humanitarian aid to people in need, both at home and abroad. She is a proud Certified Coach with More Than Just Great Dancing and she enjoys participating in speaking engagements and coaching studio owners all around the globe in best business practices.
Samm teaches classes to all ages from the youngest performers in Little Limelight all the way to adults! She directs Metrowest Family Theater and The Friends of Broadway.
Samm's favorite part about theater education is building self-esteem and confidence in her students and watching them soar on stage. She is extremely grateful and honored to be a part of your performing arts journey!