MTI’s Broadway Junior’s 20th Anniversary Celebration Kicks-off at the Junior Theater Festival!

MTI's Broadway Junior’s 20th Anniversary Celebration Kicks-off at the Junior Theater Festival! 1 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of MTI’s Broadway Junior musicals, and we celebrated this milestone with a touching tribute to MTI Chairman and CEO Freddie Gershon, and a retrospective about the Collection’s creation.
unnamed (6)This past weekend over 5,800 students and teachers from 115 musical theatre groups representing 28 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, New Zealand, South Korea and Australia came together for the annual Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, GA.

It was a star-studded affair featuring performances of upcoming Broadway Junior™ musicals, a marquee performance by Darren Criss and much, much more.  Here are some highlights…

MTI's Broadway Junior’s 20th Anniversary Celebration Kicks-off at the Junior Theater Festival! 2 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of MTI’s Broadway Junior musicals, and we celebrated this milestone with a touching tribute to MTI Chairman and CEO Freddie Gershon, and a retrospective about the Collection’s creation.
Broadway Junior’s 20 th Anniversary

2016 marks the 20th anniversary of MTI’s Broadway Junior musicals, and we celebrated this milestone with a touching tribute to MTI Chairman and CEO Freddie Gershon, and a retrospective about the Collection’s creation.

Because you, our customers, and your young performers have been essential to the growth and success of Broadway Junior, we launched a special 20th Anniversary website where you can upload and share your photos, videos and stories of people’s experiences with a Broadway Junior musical. Join and inspire the millions of Broadway Junior enthusiasts in telling “your story”…

Share Your Story Today!
Student Performances and Workshops

In the spirit of celebration and not competition, each of the 115 student groups at the festival performed a selection from a Broadway Junior musical for a panel of theatre professionals. We were thrilled to have so many different musicals from the collection represented on stage.

 

The 2016 Freddie G. Fellowship

Eight exceptional educators from schools and performing arts centers around the country were selected for the seventh annual “Freddie G Fellowship,” in which the teachers receive an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to collaborate with each other and work one-on-one with Broadway greats. Each winning teacher also receives a $5,000 grant to put towards his or her theatre program. The event is underwritten and hosted by Freddie and Myrna Gershon and is a “thank you” for all that teachers do to introduce the next generation to Broadway and musical theatre.

 

Special Guests

The Festival was a who’s who of industry professionals and included:

Darren Criss (“Glee,” Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Newsies, Tuck Everlasting)

Ben Platt (“Pitch Perfect”, Dear Evan Hansen)

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, A Christmas Story, Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach)

Philip McAdoo (The Lion King and Rent)

Mary Pope Osborne (“Magic Tree House” series of books and musicals)

Kate Weatherhead (Legally Blonde, Spelling Bee)

Cory Lingner (On the Town)

Corey Cott (Newsies)

 

We look forward to celebrating the next 20 years of Broadway Junior with all of you!