Bradley Academy student Markell Waobikeze won a Freddie G Outstanding Performance by an Individual Performer award.
Students from Stewarts Creek Middle School, Oakland Middle School, Center for the Arts and Bradley Academy in Murfreesboro won national awards and earned recognition at the 2020 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta, which happened Jan. 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 U.K.
Center for the Arts won a Freddie G Excellence in Ensemble Work award.
Oakland Middle School won a Freddie G Excellence in Acting award.
Bradley Academy students presented selections from Annie Jr. for Lisa Mitchell, Disney Theatrical Group director of education and audience engagement, and choreographer Kenny Shepard.
“The performances of The Bradley Academy’s cast of Annie Jr. were a joy to watch! The angst of the orphans and the standout performances of the leading players kept the audience engaged and entertained!” Shepard said.
“What wonderful talent there is at The Bradley Academy!” Mitchell added. “These kids have powerhouse educators supporting them.”
Center for the Arts students presented selections from Disney’s The Lion King Jr. for director Holly Stanfield and Richard Frazier, artistic director of Theatre Macon.
“This performance was fierce, entertaining and captivating,” Frazier said.
Oakland Middle School students presented selections from Legally Blonde The Musical Jr. and Stewarts Creek Middle School students presented selections from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. for Mindy Loughhead Ganz, theatre, arts and vocal music teacher at McAuliffe International School, and Mary-Catherine Chambliss, program director of Manhattan Youth at The Anderson School in New York City.
“It was evident in the performance that these students are doing what they love the most and the energy of these performers carried through to the audience members,” Chambliss said about Oakland Middle School.
She said the Stewarts Creek Middle School students “tackled iconic choreography with skill and technique far beyond their age. They filled each moment with storytelling and transported the audience on a full journey.”
Oakland Middle School’s Brielle Robinson made it to the callback for future Broadway Junior shoots for “how-to” choreography videos for soon-to-be released Broadway Junior musicals. The shoots will be taped in New York City this summer. The Broadway Junior scouts were on the lookout for outstanding students, 150 of whom made it to the final callback for iTheatrics resident choreographer Steven G. Kennedy. The final cast will be determined later this year. These videos will be used in tens of thousands of schools across the country and internationally.
Bradley Academy’s Jaden Gatewood and Kelsey Gord, Center for the Arts’ Zach Dame and Alana Shirk, Oakland Middle School’s John Horton and Brielle Robinson, and Stewarts Creek Middle School’s Reese Pittman and Avannah Stuard 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.
The Junior Theater Festival Atlanta is the world’s largest festival celebrating young people and rewarding and empowering student-driven musical theater programs.
In addition to presenting selections from shows for adjudication, participants took part in interactive workshops led by professionals, gained from professional development, watched outstanding performances by fellow students and Broadway stars, and enjoyed theatrical fellowship.
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