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Variety LAUNCHES CHILDREN'S THEATRE IN 2009!
The Variety Children’s Theatre is for children of all abilities, ages 8-21, and professional adults. Performers include actors, dancers, singers and musicians. In keeping with Variety’s mission in the community, the program is fully inclusive, featuring children of differing abilities as well as professional adults. For the theatre’s inaugural performance in 2009, the musical “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” has been selected.
Children in this program participate in every facet of producing a musical: performance; backstage production (costume design/build, set design/build, lighting, sound and stage management), and marketing and sales (publicity, ticket sales, press releases, playbill creation and photography).
From auditions to production, this program provides a hands-on approach, where children learn from seasoned professionals, as well as from each other. The inclusive setting provides the opportunity to develop important relationships, skill sets and appreciation of the overall workings of a live musical theatre production.
Variety Children's Theatre has been established through a generous grant from Nancy and Ken Kranzberg, with the goal of opening up the world of theatre to children of all abilities. Nancy Kranzberg was recognized as Variety’s Woman of the Year in 2008.
Variety Executive Director Jan Albus is serving as the theatre's executive producer, and the production team consists of an impressive line-up of professionals. Lara Teeter, an associate professor and head of musical theatre at Webster University, will be the production director. Popular St. Louis musician Greg Schweizer will serve as musical director; accomplished dancer, teacher and choreographer Mark Krupinski will be the program's choreographer; and local actor and teacher Jill Kranzberg will serve as acting coach.
Variety's children's performing arts programs are supported in part by:
