NEWS RELEASE
2020 JUNIOR THEATRE FESTIVAL ATLANTA
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Students from Moving Art in Barrie won a national award and earned praise and recognition at the 2020 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta, which happened January 17-19, 2020 at The Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.
The Junior Theater Festival Atlanta united 7,000 students and educators from 128 educational musical theater groups representing 31 states, as well as Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
Moving Art won a Freddie G Excellence in Dance award.
Moving Art students presented selections from Disney's Beauty and the Beast JR. during adjudication for Deborah Wicks La Puma, composer, music director and orchestrator (Elephant and Piggie's We Are In A Play, Frida Libre), and Michael J. Bobbitt., artistic director of the Adventure Theatre MTC.
Said Bobbitt, "I am tempted to move to Canada so I can see Moving Art perform again!" Added La Puma, "This performance had innovative ensemble movement along with beautiful solo character work."
Moving Art’s Lauren Griffin and Chloe Cameron were named to the Junior Theater Festival All-Stars, made up of outstanding performers attending the festival. The All-Stars performed a song during the closing ceremony for all 6,600 festival attendees.
Produced by the Junior Theater Group in partnership with iTheatrics, a leading educational theater company that creates innovative experiences and products for the public and private sector, the Junior Theater Festival Atlanta is the world’s largest festival celebrating young people and the transformative power of musical theater. This year’s title sponsors were Music Theatre International, Disney Theatrical Group, and Playbill, Inc®. The year marks the 15th Junior Theater Festival Atlanta. The Junior Theater Festival Atlanta was founded in 2003. In 2010 the festival became an annual event.
About Moving Art
Moving Art is a performing arts training facility which places equal emphasis on technique and performance quality. The program welcome everyone into its Moving Art family.
About the 2020 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta
The 2020 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta is a monumental weekend of theatrical fellowship rewarding and empowering student-driven musical theater programs.
President & Producer of Disney Theatrical Productions Thomas Schumacher; Caissie Levy (Frozen on Broadway); Andrew Pirozzi (Frozen on Broadway); Rob McClure (Mrs. Doubtfire on Broadway); Michael James Scott (Aladdin on Broadway); McKenzie Kurtz (Footloose at The Muny); Ryan McCartan (Wicked on Broadway); Jason Gotay (Bring It On on Broadway); Nicholas Christopher (Hamilton on Broadway); Jennifer Locke (Hamilton national tour); High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney + creator/Executive Producer Tim Federle, and show stars Olivia Rodrigo, and Joshua Bassett; Luca Padovan and Isabella Russo (School of Rock); Jeff Calhoun (Newsies, Between The Lines); Rob Rokicki (The Lighting Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical); and Lotte Wakeham (Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical) were some of the celebrities at the festival cheering on the students.In addition to presenting selections from shows for adjudication, participants took part in interactive workshops led by Broadway and West End professionals, gained from professional development, watched outstanding performances by fellow students and Broadway stars and enjoyed theatrical fellowship.
Caissie Levy (Frozen on Broadway) performed the festival’s headlining concert.
Disney Theatrical Productions President & Producer Thomas Schumacher, offered the festival keynote in collaboration with Andrew Pirozzi, Michael James Scott, McKenzie Kurtz, and Ryan McCartan.
During the festivals’ New Works Showcase, select groups performed songs from new or updated musicals: Roald Dahl’s Matilda JR. (Inspiration Stage, Sugar Land, TX) Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play! JR. (Ohlook Performing Arts Center, Grapevine, TX); The Drowsy Chaperone JR. (Plaza Academy, Cleburne, TX); Disney’s Newsies JR. (Red Phoenix Theatre Company and Play On Players, Gainesville, GA), and Disney’s Moana JR. (BRAVO!, Oak Park, IL). These titles will soon be made available as Broadway Junior musicals for licensing by MTI.
Based in New York City, for the last decade iTheatrics has established itself as the world’s leading authority on musical theater for young people. The company works with leading public and private companies around the world — including the White House, the Kennedy Center, NBC and all the leading theatrical licensors — to make sure that young people everywhere have access to quality musical theater programs.
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