Nearly 1,400 students and teachers participate in Broadway Jr. Celebration April 19-20

NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
TAKE ARTS EDUCATION CENTER STAGE AT THE
BROADWAY JUNIOR THEATER CELEBRATION
Charlotte, NC – Nearly 1,400 students and teachers representing 34 elementary and middle schools from North and South Carolina will participate in the two-day Broadway Junior Theater Celebration, Thursday and Friday (April 19-20) in Knight Theater at the Levine Center for the Arts.  Students will participate in interactive workshops, perform musical numbers in front of a panel of theater professionals and teachers will receive education on directing full musicals all during this two-day celebration.
Created and directed by iTheatrics, a premier creative consultant in educational musical theater based in New York City, in association with the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center’s Education Department, the celebration brings together people from all aspects of theater – ranging from North Carolina students and teachers to professionals who work on Broadway – under one roof to celebrate outstanding student musical theater productions and offers an enthusiastic, educational environment for students and teachers to interact with hundreds of others who share their passion for musical theater. 
During the two days, students from each school present a selection from their Broadway Junior or Broadway Kids musical production for a distinguished panel of theater professionals.  The students receive valuable feedback about their creativity, engagement in the performance, understanding of the material and connection to the lyrics and movement.
iTheatrics Teaching Artists include:
Tim McDonald – Tim is a respected playwright (Roald Dahl’s Will Wonka, The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley) and leader in education.  He started iTheatrics to help communities create more ways for students to experience the transformative power of the arts.
Steven G. Kennedy – Steven is Broadway Junior’s resident choreographer and serves as a workshop leader for all of iTheatrics’ professional development programs.  He recently choreographed three national tours including the hit production of The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley.
Marty Johnson – Marty is an experienced director, teacher and playwright in the field of Theater for Young Audiences and supervises all of iTheatrics’ creative endeavors including their professional development series for teachers and student classes and workshops.
Cindy Ripley – Cindy taught for 33 years as a vocal educator and music department chair of the Gowanda, NY, Central School District where she produced and directed over 60 productions.  She wrote the original MTI Annie Junior Teachers Production Guide.