Junior Theater Celebration 2023

Junior Theater Celebration Charlotte offers an enthusiastic, educational field trip experience for area students and teachers to interact with hundreds who share a similar passion for musical theatre in schools. The program was created and directed by iTheatrics, a premiere creative consultant in educational musical theater based in New York City, in association with the leading theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI) and Blumenthal Performing Arts’ Education Department.  With a successful remount to an in-person event last year, we’re continuing with a three-day festival model for 2022-2023 as it was previously formatted prior to the pandemic.

During the spring celebration, each elementary or middle school group that registers will perform a short selection from their student-adapted musical production before an iTheatrics led panel, providing feedback and redirection to help the students expand on theater skills such as diction, projection, acting through song, blocking and physicality, or finding a connection to the piece. 

Additionally, students participate in immersive workshops while teachers can opt into professional development alongside the iTheatrics teaching artists. Most importantly, Junior Theater Celebration Charlotte brings together theater enthusiasts from different backgrounds and skill levels – from Charlotte area students, teachers, and volunteers to experienced Broadway professionals – under one roof to celebrate musical theater with a spotlight on the student experience. The event has remained free each year to participating school groups thanks to generous support.    

More than 2,000 students and teachers will come together between March 28-30, 2023 at the Knight Theater in Uptown Charlotte to share their work and celebrate their peers. Any contribution helps to provide our youngest theater enthusiasts the benefit of working as a team to create something to be proud of as well as a fundamental access to the performing arts. 

For more information on the Junior Theater Celebration program, please reach out to Education Special Programs Manager, Tommy Prudenti, at tprudenti@blumenthalarts.org .