Local student performers honored at Junior Theater Festival Atlanta

Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·2 min read
Spotlight Theatre Productions received a Freddie G Outstanding Production Award and performed during the closing ceremonies at the Junior Theater Festival Atlanta.
Spotlight Theatre Productions received a Freddie G Outstanding Production Award and performed during the closing ceremonies at the Junior Theater Festival Atlanta.

Local students representing Spotlight Theatre Productions in Sarasota won a Freddie G Outstanding Production Award and other recognitions at the 2022 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta on Jan. 14-16 in Atlanta. Spotlight Theatre Productions also performed during the closing ceremonies.

At the festival, groups performed 15 minutes of a Broadway Junior musical for adjudicators. Spotlight Theatre students performed selections from "Children of Eden JR."

"This was a beautiful, tender, and sincere piece of musical theater storytelling. What a great ensemble," said Steven G. Kennedy, iTheatrics vice president of publications and choreography supervisor.

Spotlight Theatre students Ada Jordan and Julianne Teague made it to the callback for future video shoots for “how-to” choreography videos. Also, Vivianna Coppa and Zahara Greco were distinguished as festival All-Stars.

The Junior Theater Festival, called a “rousing celebration of theater” by the New York Times, empowers young people and educators creating student-driven musical theater around the globe. Tony Award winning actor Ali Stroker performed the headline concert. Actors Tommy Bracco and Kara Lindsay (Disney's "Newsies: The Broadway Musical") took part in a special Newsies panel via video. Groups also enjoyed a New Works Showcase of performance selections from upcoming Broadway Junior musicals.

Spotlight Theatre has a history of success at past Junior Theater Festivals. The group won a Freddie G Outstanding Production Award at the 2021 JTF Texas. The group was recognized with a Freddie G Award for Excellence in Ensemble Work (2019 and 2016 JTF Atlanta); a Freddie G Excellence in Acting award (2020 and 2015 JTF Atlanta); and a Freddie G Excellence in Music award (2018, 2014, and 2013 JTF Atlanta).

Spotlight Theatre Productions is a dynamic educational musical theater program full of multi-talented kids who sing, dance, act, and present top-notch productions. The organization aims to give children a place to grow as performers and as people, develop new friendships, and discover new self-confidence. For more information, visit spotlightkidsperform.com.

Submitted by Allison Van Etten

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Local student performers honored at Junior Theater Festival Atlanta