MTI Europe is proud to present, for the first time in Europe, the JUNIOR THEATRE CELEBRATION. The day-long programme will take place on Sunday 12th March at Curve, Leicester and will feature schools and youth groups from across the UK and Ireland, with performers ranging in age from 7 to 18.

Participating groups will spend the first half of the day presenting scenes from their Broadway Junior™ productions in front of fellow guests and a specially-selected panel of Adjudicators, including directors Lotte Wakeham, Steven Dexter, and Racky Plews, as well as iTheatrics’ founder Timothy Allen McDonald and colleagues Steven G. Kennedy and Marty Johnson. Shows being presented include: Guys & Dolls, Hairspray, Once on This Island, Disney's The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, and more

Among the afternoon activities will be interactive workshops with teaching artists from the West End productions of Disney’s The Lion King, Matilda and Wicked. Also highlighted will be a special Questions & Answer segment with Joanne Clifton, winner of the latest edition of Strictly Come Dancing, now touring the UK in the title role of Thoroughly Modern Millie. 

The day-long event will conclude with an Awards Ceremony and Showcase on Sunday evening, a performance by a group of “All-Star” singers and dancers selected that day, and a concert of Broadway and West End standards, performed by West End stars Liam Doyle (Wicked, Mamma Mia!), Sophie Linder-Lee (Wicked, Mamma Mia!), Sam Lupton (Little Shop of Horrors, Starting Here, Starting Now) and Kayleigh McKnight (Les Misérables, Bend It Like Beckham) lead by Musical Director Kris Rawlinson.
 

THE WORKSHOPS
WORKSHOP 1 - RHYTHM OF THE PRIDELANDS:  Untame your imagination and perform material from Disney’s THE LION KING! Disney Teaching Artists will guide you through a number from the award-winning West End show. Explore one-of-a-kind choreography and music – inspired by the evocative rhythms of Africa.

WORKSHOP 2 - EXPLORING MATILDA THE MUSICAL: The Royal Shakespeare Company is delighted to offer these drama-based workshops, which are designed to introduce your students to the story of MATILDA THE MUSICAL, the key characters and the creative process of bringing it to life on stage. Students will explore the musical practically, unlocking text and movement through some of the exploratory games and activities used in the rehearsal room.

WORKSHOP 3 – WICKED SINGING WORKSHOP: Wicked brings you a dynamic singing workshop focussing on the development of vocal technique and acting through song. Participants will explore characterisation, emotion, intonation and phrasing by learning a song from Wicked's renowned score. The workshop will be delivered by professionals who have worked on the West End and touring productions of Wicked and is the perfect opportunity for people who are interested in developing their understanding of singing for musical theatre.

BROADWAY JUNIOR
Conceived in 1996 by Music Theatre International CEO Freddie Gershon, Broadway Junior™ musicals are condensed, author-approved versions of classic musicals, Disney favourites, and modern works, custom-tailored to the needs of young people and schools. Developed by renowned educators and designed to suit school assemblies as well as the energies and attention spans of younger performers, Broadway Junior™ musicals are perfect for teachers or directors who are new to musical theatre and seeking to introduce students to the joys of participating in a show.  Bringing different groups together to share their Broadway Junior™ experiences has led to annual Junior Theatre Celebrations across the USA and Australia and now, the UK. 

Stephen Sondheim's song "Children Will Listen," from Into the Woods, underscores the vital dynamic between children and adults. Appropriately, it was Mr. Sondheim who served as the catalyst for Broadway Junior™, according to Freddie Gershon. "Steve expressed concern for the future, and the need for young people to be engaged in live musical theatre, and he wanted to be sure that musicals would continue to cultivate vibrant new audiences," recalls Gershon. "He inspired me, and I started thinking about today's children being bombarded on all sides in this digital age, and also about the many underserved communities across the USA, and around the world, where arts programmes are no longer provided.  I thought about the fact that kids from 14 to 18 could put on shows in schools, but their younger brothers and sisters had no such outlet. Creating a Broadway Junior™ version would be the equivalent of our baseball ‘Little League’ in America, or soccer camps for young kids. From the start, it was clear we had tapped into something, as our Broadway Junior™ titles were embraced by parents, teachers and students." 

Continued Gershon, "Developments emerged that I could never have predicted:  not only did young people get the courage to go up on the stage, learn about singing, dancing, acting and telling a story through the arts, but they were immersed in experiential learning, became a functional community of their own, learned how to interact with each other with mutuality of respect, worked collaboratively and collegially. The totality of the program has already impacted millions of students around the world, and has produced educational opportunities for educators and musical theatre teachers as a learning experience.”

For further details regarding the 2017 Junior Theatre Celebration, or to register your interest for the 2018 event, please email us.