More than 6,000 students and educators gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, January 13–15 for the iTheatrics Junior Theater Festival. The event, which is the largest of its kind, unites young theatre lovers for a weekend of performances, workshops, and special events with Broadway guest stars.
Among the highlights of JTF 2017 was the premiere of Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical, a live film of the hit Broadway musical featuring members of the original cast.
Disney Theatrical Group president and producer Thomas Schumacher delivered the JTF keynote address.
Flip through photos from the festival below:
iTheatrics founding chairman welcomes educators to a Friday night reception.
Team iTheatrics launches its new textbook, The iTheatrics Method.
Marcus Woollen/MTI
Cade Garafola of Holy Ghost’s Spirit of the Stage in Hammond sings the National Anthem.
iTheatric Founding Chairman Timothy Allen McDonald officially opens the 2017 iTheatrics Junior Theater Festival Atlanta.
Marcus Woollen/MTI
iTheatrics Founding Chairman Timothy Allen McDonald and Luca Padovan (School of Rock The Musical) talk about EdTA’s JumpStart Theatre, a program which builds self-sustaining musical theatre programs in under-served schools.
Parents and students wait to meet award-winning author Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne, co-writer and composer of the Magic Tree House musicals.
Students surprise lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty with a performance of “Why We Tell The Story” from Once on this Island.
Jodi Picoult, a #1 best-selling author of twenty-three novels signs her latest novel Small Great Things.
Conwell Kidz Drama Program from Jersey City, NJ, presented Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon KIDS for.
Conwell Kidz Drama Program from Jersey City, NJ, presented Magic Tree House: Pirates Past Noon KIDS for.
Eastern Shore Rep students from Fairhope, AL, perform Junie B Jones JR.
Eastern Shore Rep students from Fairhope, AL, perform Junie B Jones JR.
Hunter Drama from Newcastle, Australia presented Disney’s 101 Dalmatians.
Play On Players in Gainesville, GA perform Disney’s Mary Poppins, Jr. at the Junior Theatre Festival 2017
Marcus Woollen/MTI
Play On Players in Gainesville, GA perform Disney’s Mary Poppins JR.
The Center Players @ Arts of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, NC perform Disney’s The Jungle Book KIDS.
The Center Players @ Arts of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, NC perform Disney’s The Jungle Book KIDS.
All JTF Atlanta participants enjoyed the world premiere of the live capture performance film of Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical hosted by Jeff Calhoun and Christopher Gattelli.
Musical Mayhem Productions in Elk Grove, CA received the Playbill Community Service Award, created to acknowledge all of the ways young people at the Junior Theater Festival are giving back across the country. All groups attending the Junior Theater Festival were encouraged to document their organization's community service projects. Finalists were chosen by a panel of adjudicators and highlighted on Playbill.com, where the public cast votes on its favorite. A total of 120,000 votes were cast. Musical Mayhem Productions won a $1,000 cash prize to support its continued charitable efforts.
MTI CEO Freddie Gershon and Myrna Gershon and past Freddie G Fellows welcome five recipients of the 2017 Freddie G Fellowship.
Community Theatre of Greensboro, North Carolina, performs for all festival attendees as part of the closing ceremonies.
Freddie G Outstanding Production award recipient Eastern Shore Repertory Theatre based in Fairhope, AL perform Singin' In The Rain JR. for all festival attendees as part of the closing ceremonies.
Freddie G Outstanding Production award recipient PS 124 based in Chinatown, NYC, performs Annie KIDS for all festival attendees as part of the closing ceremonies.
Freddie G Outstanding Production award recipient Red Phoenix Theatre Company, based in Buford, GA, perform Roald Dahl's James and The Giant Peach JR. for all festival attendees as part of the closing ceremonies.
Freddie G Outstanding Production award recipient in Brandenton, FL, perform Dear Edwina JR. for all festival attendees as part of the closing ceremonies.
Matthew Lee Robinson (Atlantis, Happy People) performs during Pathways to Success.
iTheatrics founding chairman Timothy Allen McDonald; Jeff Calhoun (Newsies); Elyssa Samsel (My Little Brony); Kate Anderson (My Little Brony), and Jodi Piccoult (Between the Lines) talk during Pathways to Success.
Arielle Jacobs (In the Heights) and Curt Hansen (Wicked) perform during Pathways to Success.
Broadway music director and composer Brad Simmons (Lysistrata Jones) plays music from his new CD In the Company of Strangers.
Disney Theatrical President Thomas Schumacher talks with students during the Direct From Broadway event.
The Junior Theater Festival is sponsored by iTheatrics, along with Music Theatre International (MTI), Disney Theatrical Group, and Playbill, Inc.®.
Following JTF Atlanta, iTheatrics and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) will debut the Junior Theater Festival West (#JTF17, #JTFWest) February 10-12, in Sacramento, California.
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