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(NEW ORLEANS - December 15, 2021) – �������� Artist-in-Residence and Theater faculty member is heading back to Broadway to star in the spring revival of Funny Girl on Broadway. Prescott, who currently teaches in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Loyola, will dance in the show’s ensemble and be understudy to Jared Grimes, in the role of Eddie Ryan, a main character in the show.

“This will be my 10th Broadway show, a monumental number in the Broadway world,” said Prescott. “Working with such great people on such an incredible show will be exciting, for sure.”��

Prescott is a NYC based performer, choreographer, and educator who has appeared in Broadway shows such as Motown, After Midnight, Gigi, Cirque du Soleil's Paramour, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Head Over Heels, and Moulin Rouge. His original work as a choreographer has been featured in Broadway’s Annual Gypsy of the Year, Jennifer Jancuska’s BC Beat, and “The Invitation” presented by Broadway Advocacy Coalition. He’s also created original works for The Ailey School Professional Program and numerous competitive theatre and dance programs across the nation.��

In September, Prescott performed at the , celebrating the return of live theatre on CBS and Paramount. This fall, he taught Tap Dance for Musicals and devised and directed the premiere of the department’s fall production of , an original movement-based exploration about the history of the American Dream. ��After a year and a half as an Artist in Residence, in fall 2021, he became an official member of Loyola faculty.

Funny Girl will be his first performance in a live Broadway show since the pandemic began.��

“Having joined my Loyola family has been really rewarding,” Prescott said. “Going back and sharing my knowledge with students has been beneficial for both me and them – because they are being taught by a working professional, and as a working professional, I get to see how newer artists are working as they head into the theater industry.”

Funny Girl welcomes audiences starting in late March. Known for hits like “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and “People,” this bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who dreamed of a life on the stage. Everyone told her she’d never be a star, but then something funny happened—she became one of the most beloved performers in history, shining brighter than the brightest lights of Broadway.

It's a great lesson for Loyola students, who train to be working professionals, studying under artists like Salvatore Mannino, Sascha Grandoit, Helen Jacksch and Kai Knight, practicing voice with musical stars including Liz Argus and Flo Presti, and working with experts like television and film star Ann Mahoney Kadar.��

“Justin has, for our students, been the best thing to come from this pandemic,” said C. Patrick Gendusa, chair of Loyola’s Theatre and Dance Department. “When Broadway shut down, Justin moved to New Orleans and we have been truly blessed to have him call Loyola and New Orleans home for the past year and a half. He is the most giving and talented teacher, artist and person. He has brought us so much light during a very dark time for theatre. As much as we hate to see him leave, we are also so thrilled for him to return to Broadway. I have told him from the beginning that he always has a home here. Your Loyola Theatre family will be here waiting anytime you want to come back home, Justin!”
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