iTheatrics and the Junior Theater Group (Founder and CEO, Timothy Allen McDonald) are thrilled to announce the full line up of performers, adjudicators, playwrights, songwriters and educators who will take part in the 2024 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta. The festival will take place January 12-14, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Called a “rousing celebration of theatre” by The New York Times, for the past 20 years, thousands of musical theatre students and their teachers have made the pilgrimage to this annual epic event for young people and educators creating musical theater worldwide.
At the festival, each group will perform 15 minutes of a Broadway Junior® musical for adjudicators. In addition to mainstage performances featuring powerhouse Broadway and West End guests, the groups will enjoy “Direct From Broadway,” hosted by Luca Padovan and Isabella Russo, a New Works Showcase of performance selections from upcoming Broadway Junior® musicals presented by JTF groups and “There's A Place For Us,” hosted by Jiana Odland, and Growing Up Broadway, hosted by SJ Arnegger and Timothy Allen McDonald.
Headline performers for the concert held on Sunday, January 14 will be Arielle Jacobs (Here Lies Love, Between the Lines) and Adam Jacobs (The Lion King, Aladdin).
This year’s performers, presenters and adjudicators will include Tilly-Raye Bayer (Matilda, Disney’s Frozen – West End), director Jeff Calhoun (Disney’s Newsies), Katy Geraghty (Into the Woods), Taylor Iman Jones (Head Over Heels, Six), Beau Harmon (“So You Think You Can Dance”), Brittney Mack (Six), Luca Padovan (School of Rock, Newsies), New York Times best-selling author Jodi Picoult (Between the Lines), Wren Rivera (Jagged Little Pill, Between the Lines), Isabella Russo (School of Rock), Joe Serafini (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”), Morgan Siobhan Green (Be More Chill, Hadestown – First National Tour), songwriter Rob Rokicki (The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical), Thommy Bailey Vine (Matilda, Les Misérables – West End) and Michael Wordly (Miss Saigon, The Color Purple – First National Tour).
The weekend will also feature book signings from the songwriting team of Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson (Between the Lines, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, The Book Thief) and playwright and author Vichet Chum (Bald Sisters, Kween).
This year’s educators of note include Michael J. Bobbitt (Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council), Dr. Jennifer Katona (Executive Director, Educational Theatre Association), Nina Meehan (Founder/Artistic Director, Bay Area Children’s Theatre), Rosemary Newcott (former Sally G. Tomlinson Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth and Families, Alliance Theatre), Ernie Nolan (Executive Artistic Director, Nashville Children’s Theatre), and Cindy Ripley (Senior Advisor, Education at iTheatrics). These educators will serve as adjudicators throughout the weekend.