'Sometimes-messy' live version of 'MasterChef Junior' comes to Long Center

Margaret Christopherson, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·2 min read
Molly Leighninger cooking during season eight of MasterChef Junior. Leighninger will be touring with "MasterChef Junior Live!," which will be visiting the Long Center for Performing Arts in Lafayette on Sept. 23.
Molly Leighninger cooking during season eight of MasterChef Junior. Leighninger will be touring with "MasterChef Junior Live!," which will be visiting the Long Center for Performing Arts in Lafayette on Sept. 23.

LAFAYETTE, Ind.  — Fans of the show 'MasterChef Junior' will be able to get a taste of the show live when "MasterChef Junior Live!" visits the Long Center for Performing Arts on Sept. 23.

"MasterChef Junior Live!" is a stage production of the culinary TV show, MasterChef Junior. Contestants from previous seasons of the TV show will be featured in head-to-head cooking demonstrations and challenges.

One such featured chef is Molly Leighninger, the now-13-years-old chef who placed fourth in season eight of MasterChef Junior, when she was 10.

"'MasterChef Junior Live!' is gonna be a tour," Leighninger said. "And we all travel on a bus and we go to different cities... and we're gonna perform. There's gonna be some challenges, there's gonna be some cooking demonstrations. And I think it's gonna be a lot of fun, and I'm really excited."

While this is the fourth tour of "MasterChef Junior Live!," this is Leighninger's first time on the stage production. Leighninger, a Missouri native, stated that what she's most looking forward to is getting to see all the new places the tour will take her.

"I'm honestly looking forward to just going to a bunch of places around the east coast," Leighninger said, "because I've never really been there as often as I've been to other places.

MasterChef Junior contestant Malia, second from left, opens a pot, as Evan, from left, Matthew and Jasmine look on during MasterChef Junior Live!
MasterChef Junior contestant Malia, second from left, opens a pot, as Evan, from left, Matthew and Jasmine look on during MasterChef Junior Live!

While the exact cooking demonstrations and challenges chefs will be doing are under-wraps and still being developed, it is known that Leighninger will be joined by previous fellow MasterChef Junior contestants A'Dan Lisaula, Grayson Price and season eight winner Liya Chu.

This fun-for-the-whole family show will last around 90 minutes, and will feature "sometimes-messy" food challenges. Tickets for the Long Center for Performing Arts' show are available on its website as well as on the "MasterChef Junior Live!" website.

Everyone who contributes to putting on "MasterChef Junior Live!" is a fan of the show, including TCG Entertainment, the producer of the stage-production.

"'MasterChef Junior Live!' is one of TCG’s favorite shows to produce," Stephen Cook, president of TCG Entertainment, said in a release. "We are always excited to recreate some of the fan-favorites segments from the TV series and bring it to a live audience. The energy this show brings is contagious.”

Molly Leighninger (left) on season eight of MasterChef Junior.
Molly Leighninger (left) on season eight of MasterChef Junior.

A limited number of VIP packages to meet the chefs will be available at every show and will include signed merchandise.

While Leighninger will soon age-out of being able to participate in the MasterChef Junior TV series, plans to take-part in the original MasterChef are on the young chef's mind.

"I think that'd be a totally fun thing to do in the future when I'm older," Leighninger said. "I think that'd be awesome."

Margaret Christopherson is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email her at mchristopherson@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter @MargaretJC2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Things to do: 'MasterChef Junior Live!' set for Lafayette's Long Center