Junior Theatre Festival Newcastle 2022
On Saturday 29 October, 21 finalist groups from all states in Australia as well as a group from New Zealand competed in person for the prestigious awards that are judged by a panel of international visiting artists from Broadway and West End.
Our MacKillop Primary troupe performed an extract from the Lion King and were awarded Outstanding Vocals. The MCC Senior troupe performed their extract from Madagascar and were awarded Outstanding Acting.
Junior Theatre Festival allows students and teachers representing a diverse number of theatre programs to come together to share their talents, cheer each other on, and be part of an international community of people who care as much about the art form as much as they do.
The Junior Theatre Festival Australia focused on performers, ranging in age from 7 to 18, presenting an extract from an MTI Broadway Junior™ musical in front of fellow guests and a specially selected panel of adjudicators. The young people received feedback on their music, acting, dance, overall performance and constructive criticism to encourage further learning in key areas. Some performers were selected for honours. Performers and educators also enjoyed a Q&A with special guests; interactive workshops presented by leading theatre and teaching artists, and an evening concert. The 2022 Junior Theatre Festival Australia was a monumental weekend of theatrical fellowship.
Participating in this year’s Junior Theatre Festival were Daniel J Mertzlufft, Broadway composer and tiktok influencer; Kate Leonard, Broadway lyricist; Stuart Hendricks, Managing Director of MTI Australasia; Marty Johnson, Program Director at XIX Entertainment; Nina Meehan, Founder of Bay Area Children’s Theatre (San Francisco); Ryan Macauley, West End Musical Director; Emma Bishop, President of Music Theatre New Zealand, and many more.
The event is part of the global Junior Theatre Festivals circuit, conceived by iTheatrics in New York, which take place in the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. The Junior Theatre Festivals are the world’s largest events exclusively dedicated to celebrating young people and student-driven musical theatre. In 2021, nearly 20,000 people worldwide attended a Junior Theatre Festival.
A huge round of applause and congratulations to all the students, teachers and parents involved in this showcase event. Look out USA 2024!
