Education News Newsies Jr. Will Be Workshopped as Part of Junior Theatre Celebration Australia The Disney musical will be condensed into a 60-minute adaptation during a five-day pilot program.

By Ryan McPhee

June 21, 2017

Coordinated by OzTheatrics, the pilot program will be directed by musical theatre writer and iTheatrics Founding Chairman Timothy Allen McDonald, iTheatrics Director of Education and New York Resident Director Marty Johnson, and iTheatrics New York Resident Choreographer Steven G. Kennedy.

“MTI Australasia is so excited to be able to support the development of up-and-coming musical theatre stars in this country,” Managing Director Stuart Hendricks said in a statement. “We can’t wait to see what they create during the pilot week.”

Newsies features a score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by Harvey Fierstein. The musical received two 2012 Tony Awards: Best Original Score for Menken and Feldman and Best Choreography for Christopher Gattelli. The story follows a young newsboy who leads a band of fellow runaway “newsies” in a strike against some of New York’s most powerful publishers.

The Junior Theatre Celebration Australia provides an opportunity for young Australians—ages eight to 18—to celebrate their love of musical theatre. As part of the event, youth theatre groups will perform ten-minute extracts of various Broadway JR. productions for industry professionals. JTCOz is produced by OzTheatrics and AMICI Trust alongside international partner iTheatrics and sponsor MTI Australia.

Prior to the Newcastle event, the International Junior Theatre Celebration will be held at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, New Zealand October 21.