Deborah Bradshaw visited her old stomping grounds on Broadway in 2023 to see Phantom of The Opera at an invitation-only event for former cast members.
Have you ever worked with someone for years but didn’t know how truly special they were until after they have left the building? We believe that’s how many members of the Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) community will feel after they read this story about Deborah Bradshaw.
Bradshaw, whose married name is Bartley, was the director of Performing Arts on the Cumberland campus from 2005 until she retired in 2024. Before she landed a leading role working for the college, Bradshaw performed in some of the biggest shows on Broadway. She also did tours with heralded actors and actresses of a time gone by.
The Charlotte, NC native earned her bachelor’s degree in musical theater from Appalachian State University, one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. She received her master’s in educational theater from New York University.
“I always loved to perform from the time I was little and was always the singer at school, in high school and junior high school,” she said. “I was doing a lot of performing all those years and I just knew I wanted to move to New York City and be on Broadway.
“That was my dream. That was what I was going to do, and I didn’t give myself any other out,” she added.
Before she made it to New York, Bradshaw performed with a famous mustachioed actor. “I actually got my Actor’s Equity Card, which is a professional actors union membership card in 1980 working for Burt Reynolds at his theater in Florida,” she said.
Although she “was always the sort of second banana” in shows, Bradshaw’s singing talents afforded her the opportunity to grace many stages.
“I did Les Miserables, the original premier national company, and then I went into the Broadway company,” she said. “I also did Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. I did a few years at Radio City as Mrs. Claus and the Christmas Spectacular. I did a lot of Carousels, Sound of Music.”
Bradshaw also travelled across the United States and performed with stars who will be remembered by people of a certain age.
“I did a national tour Fiorello! with Tom Bosley who was Mr. Cunningham on Happy Days,” she said. “I did national tours of Sound of Music with Debby Boone. She was great.”
A twinkle came to her eyes when asked if performing on Broadway is as magical as it seems.
“You have to look at it as a job. You’re taking care of yourself to give this performance every night,” she said. “You have to be on top of your game at all times. It’s work. It’s discipline. So, every night, you tell yourself, no matter how tired you are, this is my dream.
“The magic comes in the minute you walk in that door, and you just go, ‘Okay, here we go.’ It’s wonderful in that it’s something you’ve wanted to do since you were a little girl,” she added.
Bradshaw called the audience’s reaction to her performances “the icing on the cake.”
“They are excited. They are elated. They are touched,” she said. “You feel it as well. To have somebody say, ‘Wow, I was really moved by that performance’—that’s awesome.”
After living and working in Manhattan for 20 years, Bradshaw was ready for a change. She came to the Cumberland campus to share the knowledge she’d gained with her students.
“The one thing I tell them from the get-go, something my dad always told me, is luck is opportunity prepared,” Bradshaw said. “You are the CEO of you, and you are in charge of your discipline. Your self-discipline is what will take you to not just the next level, but every level. Believe in yourself no matter what.”
Bradshaw’s former students raved about her teaching style.
“She possesses this quality of seeing the potential in each person,” said Meagan Haddock, who graduated with the Class of 2017. “She sees what each person needs to give their best performance and provides a safe space for them to get out of their comfort zone to try new techniques without judgement.”
Deborah Bradshaw with former theater student Xander Schmidt at Rowan College of South Jersey–Cumberland’s Fifth Annual Commencement Ceremony.
“She introduced me to authors and acting methods that I didn’t previously know about, expanding my knowledge and helping to enhance my acting skills,” said Abby Mathis, sophomore acting major. “She made sure to try and make her lessons fun; we played a lot of improv games, and who doesn’t like games?”
In addition to her acting and singing talents, Bradshaw is an accomplished director. She received an Excellence in Directing Award from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in 2010 for The Odd Couple, the Best Non-Equity theatre company Producer/Director award from Broadway World.com in 2014, the Perry Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical/Director for Les Miserables in 2014, and others.
Bradshaw’s fondest memories of working at the college are directing shows in the theater at the legendary Guaracini Center.
“To help someone find a character or help them find their voice … that’s magic to me,” Bradshaw said. “I can say, ‘Oh! They nailed it! They finally got there.’ ”
In retirement, the natural-born singer and director rode off into the sunset with husband Kevin (who Bradshaw called the “unsung hero of this whole story”) and two golden retrievers as they packed up and moved to Florida. There she will work with former student Steven Calakos, who asked her to be on the Gulfshore Playhouse’s advisory education committee.
Jackie Sandro-Greenwell believes Bradshaw’s legacy should be the amazing shows she produced on the Cumberland campus.
“She was a performer on Broadway, so her productions were top notch from choreography, singing to set design…and of course the acting by her students, staff and members of the community,” she said. “But also, her exemplary devotion, dedication, love and support that she gave to each and every one of her students. She was so dedicated to the students and their work—helping, advising, and encouraging them during their time at RCSJ and after they had graduated. I know she’s had a great impact and influence on the lives of so many of our students … even now.”
Haddock, a 2017 graduate and now a character performer at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, echoed Sandro-Greenwell’s sentiments.
“Without her encouragement and guidance,” Haddock said, “I would not be the performer I am today, nor would I be in the entertainment industry at all.
“I still speak with her to this day, and we are very close friends. I cannot thank her enough for everything she has done for me.”
There you have it—Deborah Bradshaw in a nutshell. On behalf of RCSJ, we’d like to say thank you for gracing our college with your presence and for being you.
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