We are delighted to announce plans for this summer’s Youth Theatre Workshop, now in its 14th year. There will be two programs, as there was in the past few years. Auditions are used to assign roles to all the workshop participants.
The workshop for Younger kids, in grades 1 thru 8, will be July 8 thru 19, Monday thru Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM. Leading up to performances of the junior musical A Year With Frog and Toad KIDS, on Fri-Sat-Sun 19-20-21 July 2024. The auditions will be Sunday 30 June starting at 4:00 PM. The callback auditions will be Monday 1 July at 6:00 PM. Both the auditions and callbacks will also be meet & greet session for parents.
The junior musical show for Older kids, in grades 6 thru 12 will be Xanadu Jr. Performances will be Fri-Sat-Sun 23-24-25 August 2024. Auditions will be on Tuesday 18 June at 7:00 PM, with callbacks on Thursday 20 June at 7:00 PM. Rehearsals will be on three weekday evenings, starting the last week of June.
Much of the staff is returning from last year. For the Younger kids the stage director will be Britt Mitchell, the choreographer will be Amanda Allen, the musical director will be KG Spungen, and the tech director will be Sean Perry. For the Older kids, the stage director will be Becca Griffing, and the musical director will also be KG Spungen.
The registration materials and more details are coming soon.
If we are unable to secure the rights to perform Frog and Toad, we will instead present Disney’s Alice in Wonderland JR.
Adapted from the three-time-Tony-nominated Broadway hit comes A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS. Based on Arnold Lobel’s well-loved books, the jazzy, upbeat score bubbles with melody. Part vaudeville, part make-believe, and all charm, A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS tells the story of a friendship that endures throughout the seasons.
This whimsical show follows two great friends – the cheerful, popular Frog, and the rather grumpy Toad – through four fun-filled seasons. Waking from hibernation, Frog and Toad plant gardens, swim, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life lessons along the way. Throughout the year, two best friends celebrate and rejoice in the differences that make them unique and special, along with their friends Turtle, Mouse, Lizard, Snails, Birds, Moles, and Squirrels.
Xanadu JR. is inspired by the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical and the Universal Pictures’ cult classic movie that starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. Xanadu JR. is a moving, electrifying tale of endless fun that will keep audiences in stitches while the original, legendary chart-topping tunes lift them out of their seats.
Xanadu JR. follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse, Kira, who descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California, on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first Roller Disco. (Hey, it’s 1980!) But, when Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation, and chaos abounds.
Step into the wacky world of Wonderland in this vibrant new retelling of a Disney classic!
Fall down the rabbit hole with Alice as she navigates the curious world of Wonderland on a journey of self-discovery. When young Alice finds herself in a strange world where everything seems upside down, she must find her way home…and find herself along the way. As she travels through Wonderland, she encounters all of the iconic characters that audiences have come to love: including the ever-tardy White Rabbit, the grinning Cheshire Cat, a cool Caterpillar, the wacky Mad Hatter, and the hot-tempered Queen of Hearts.
Alice in Wonderland JR. features Disney favorites such as “The Golden Afternoon,” “The Unbirthday Song,” and “Painting the Roses Red” along with brand-new songs, including music from the 2010 live-action film. Whether this is your first experience with Alice or your hundredth, you’ll fall in love all over again with this timeless story of adventure, imagination, and pure fun!
Theatre Company of Saugus 