Education NewsMusic Theatre International Reveals 2022 Freddie G Fellowship Honorees
The theatre educators will be brought to New York City to work one-on-one with Broadway professionals.
By
Logan Culwell-Block
July 11, 2022
Music Theatre International (MTI) has revealed the six outstanding theatre educators selected for this year's Freddie G Fellowship, which will see the educators flown to New York July 14-17 for one-on-one development sessions with Broadway professionals. Honorees are chosen from educators attending the Junior Theater Festivals, a pair of weekend-long events in Atlanta, Georgia, and Sacramento, California, that sees educational theatre groups from around the country bring performance excerpts from shows in MTI's Broadway Junior catalog for adjudicating and a general celebration of all things youth theatre.
The educators chosen this year are Dana Alvarez of Cape Coral, Florida; Terry Hale of Elgin, Oregon; Megan Kelly Bates of Dallas, Texas; Krissy Brown of Springfield, Ohio; Michelle Campbell of Elk Grove, California; and Chad Haney of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
"Without teachers there is no Broadway Junior," says Freddie Gershon, MTI Co-Chairman and, with wife Myrna, underwriter of the Fellowship. "Myrna and I feel strongly about teachers and their significant role. This week gives us an opportunity to immerse them in experiential skills they can take home, integrate with their students, and pass on to other teachers."
"Live theatre and the arts are thriving with the private sector supporting both educators and children, and teachers deserve to be appreciated," adds Myrna Gershon.
This year's cohort will attend a special master class with Tony-nominated director and choreographer Jeff Calhoun, currently represented with Off-Broadway's Between the Lines. The teachers will also see performances of Between the Lines, Beetlejuice, and a developmental workshop of the forthcoming Beetlejuice JR. The week's programs have been coordinated by iTheatrics, producers of the Junior Theater Festivals and leading authority on musical theatre for young people.
"The four days will fully engage the winning teachers in the Broadway musical theatre world and provide one-of-a-kind learning opportunities for them to take back to their schools, students and communities," says Freddie Gershon. "These teachers perform inspiring work with limited financial resources. We want to give them the opportunity to live the Broadway experience and interact with qualified professionals to reward them for all they do to introduce the next generations to live theatre and simultaneously enhance their knowledge, skills, and experience. The teaching Fellows act as peer to peer guiding lights, viz: teachers helping teachers in their quest to mount the best Junior shows. With 80 plus teachers as Fellows, they pass on tips and skills learned in New York during the week to others."
PHOTOS: Go Inside the 2020 Junior Theater Festivals
PHOTOS: Go Inside the 2020 Junior Theater Festivals
These events in Atlanta and Sacramento gathered young performers from around the world for a weekend of celebrating theatre.
40 PHOTOS
Junior Theater Festival Executive Producer and iTheatrics Founding Chairman Timothy Allen McDonald welcomes attendees to Pathways to Success. 7,000 people participated in the 2020 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta.
Students from Red Phoenix Theatre Company in Lawrenceville, GA and Play On Players in Duluth, GA perform selections from Disney's Newsies JR. at the 2020 JTF Atlanta
Students from Ohlook Performing Arts perform selections from Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are In A Play!” JR. at the New Works Festival at the 2020 JTF Atlanta
Students from Plaza Academy perform selections from Drowsy Chaperone JR. at the 2020 JTF Atlanta New Works Showcase
Students from Inspiration Stage in Sugar Land, TX perform selections from Roald Dahl's Matilda JR. at the 2020 JTF Atlanta New Works Showcase
Students from BRAVO perform selections from Disney's Moana JR. at the 2020 JTF Atlanta New Works Showcase
Mrs. Doubtfire on Broadway's Rob McClure surprises the audience with performances from the upcoming Broadway musical at JTF Atlanta
Mrs. Doubtfire on Broadway’s Rob McClure and Analise Scarpaci perform a song from the upcoming Broadway show at JTF Atlanta
Playbill's Felicia Fitzpatrick and Logan Culwell-Block at the Saturday Playbill Trivia Showdown
Disney+'s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series stars Joshua Bassett (Ricky) and Olivia Rodrigo (Nini) perform at the 2020 Junior Theater Festival’s Pathways to Success panel
Marcus Woollen for the Junior Theater Festival
Festival correspondents and Broadway stars Isabella Russo and Luca Padovan (School of Rock) during the festival’s Pathways to Success panel
Marcus Woollen for the Junior Theater Festival
Actors Nicholas Christopher and Jennifer Locke (Hamilton) during the festival’s Pathways to Success panel
Playbill's Logan Culwell-Block and Felicia Fitzpatrick host a second Playbill Trivia Showdown on Sunday at JTF Atlanta
Baayork Lee (A Chorus Line) accepts the 2020 Broadway Junior Spirit Award with PS 124 principal Alice Hom. The award is given to a group which embodies the spirit of educational musical theater.
Freddie G Outstanding Production winner Uptown Music Theatre from New Orleans performing “He Lives In You” from Disney’s The Lion King JR. at the Freddie G closing ceremony
Woodford Theatre wins the 2020 Playbill Community Service Award at JTF Atlanta
Freddie G Outstanding Production recipient Acting Upon Faith Productions from Van Zandt, LA performs “Be Prepared” from Disney’s The Lion King JR.
Freddie G Outstanding Production recipient Conwell Kids Drama Program in Jersey City perform “Let The Sun Shine On” from Frozen JR. during the Freddie G Awards Show
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS' Michael Di Bianco and Lane Beauchamp present the Freddie G Outstanding Student Direction & Choreography award at the 2020 Junior Theater Festival Awards Ceremony
Freddie G Outstanding Production recipient Mountain City Center for the Arts in Frostburg, MD, perform “Oh The Thinks You Can Think” from Seussical JR. during the Freddie G Awards ceremony
Students from Mill Creek Musical Theatre in Nolensville, TN, perform “Human Heart” from Once On This Island JR. during the Freddie G Awards ceremony
Students from Tampa Bay Performing Arts in Palm Harbor, FL and Magic Curtain Productions in Orlando, FL take part in the Junior Theater Festival Tech Olympics
Caissie Levy (Caroline, or Change; Frozen) performs the Junior Theater Festival’s headlining concert
Marcus Woollen for the Junior Theater Festival
Timothy Allen McDonald kicks off JTF West 2020 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion in Sacramento, California
West Lake School for the Performing Arts student Amarech Mendez performs the National Anthem
Students from Musical Mayhem Productions in Elk Grove, California perform selections from Mary Poppins JR. during Saturday morning adjudications.
Broadway Newsies director Jeff Calhoun gives Musical Mayhem students feedback during adjudications
Lightning Thief composer and lyricist Rob Rokicki works with the Musical Mayhem students
Disney Theatrical Productions President and Producer Thomas Schumacher gives the JTF West festival keynote
Students from Eastern Shore Repertory Theatre perform selections from Disney's Newsies JR. at the New Works Showcase
Students from Poison Apple Productions perform selections from The Drowsy Chaperone JR. at the New Works Showcase
Students from KidsAlive! perform selections from Elephant & Piggie's We Are in a Play! JR. at the New Works Showcase
Spark of Creation student Celeste Javier performing the title role of Disney's Moana JR. in the New Works Showcase
Students from British Theatre Academy in Leatherhead, Surrey perform selections from Roald Dahl's Matilda JR. at the New Works Showcase
Jason Gotay performs from the upcoming Off-Broadway musical Between the Lines during the festival's Pathways to Success event
Musical Mayhem Productions, a Freddie G Outstanding Production recipient, performs a selection from Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins JR. for all festival attendees at the Freddie G Awards Ceremony
Outstanding performers from the festival, named JTF West All-Stars, perform during the JTF West Freddie G Awards show
Marcus Woollen
Dear Edwina, Junie B. Jones, and Enchanted writers Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich perform the headlining concert
Fame, Footloose, and The Big One-Oh! writer Dean Pitchford performs at the headlining concert
Only Make Believe and Situation Group teamed up for a hands-on workshop, crafting costumes with children in hospitals, care facilities, and special education programs.