Ari'el Stachel to Host 2026 Broadway Junior Student Celebration
Hundreds of participating students share musical numbers from their fully produced school shows at the Finale.
The 21st annual Shubert Foundation & Music Theatre International Broadway Junior Student Finale is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at Broadway’s Ambassador Theatre hosted by Tony winner Ari’el Stachel.
The Shubert Foundation / MTI Broadway Junior partnership is a groundbreaking musical theatre mentorship program that helps public schools affect school culture change through building sustainable theatre education programs. Hundreds of participating students share musical numbers from their fully produced school shows at the Finale. For many, this will be their first musical theatre experience performing on Broadway.
New York City Public School students from all five boroughs will perform numbers from their full school productions of Broadway musicals. The shows include 13 JR., Annie JR., Disney's Beauty and The Beast JR., Disney's High School Musical JR., Legally Blonde The Musical JR., Disney's The Lion King JR., Disney's The Little Mermaid JR., Madagascar – A Musical Adventure JR., Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR., Shrek The Musical JR. and Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka JR.
“Over the past 21 years, more than 30,000 students from all five boroughs of New York City have benefitted from this wonderful program and on Tuesday morning, on the stage of The Ambassador Theatre, over 450 students will add to that number,” said Diana Phillips, President of The Shubert Foundation. “It is both a privilege and a pleasure for The Shubert Foundation to support this important work.”
The Shubert Foundation / MTI Broadway Junior program engages students in all aspects and areas of the arts, utilizing master teachers and expert production advisers from the educational theatre organizations, ArtsConnection, Broadway Bound Kids and iTheatrics.
In the first year of the program, teachers and students are guided step-by-step through the process of producing a first-ever musical in their schools. In the second year, teachers and students continue to receive support and encouragement on their second musical, but take ownership over their productions. In the third year and beyond, schools present a musical independently, and serve as inspiration for other schools involved in earlier cycles of the program.
2026 Broadway Junior Student Finale Participants
Manhattan
- Community Math and Science Prep 328
- PS/MS 34 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Queens
- I.S. 230 The School for Civics in the Community
- P811Q (District 75)
- PS/IS 87 The Middle Village School
- Waterside School for Leadership
- William H. Carr JHS 194
Brooklyn
- I.S. 303 Herbert S. Eisenberg
- K581 The Middle School of Media, Law and Fine Arts
- Lenox Academy MS 961
- Madiba Prep Middle School
- The SEEALL Academy
Bronx
- PS/MS 20 P.O. George J. Werdann, III
Staten Island
- P25R (District 75)
Graduated Schools Participating in the Shubert/MTI Musical Theatre Ensemble
Manhattan
- Central Park East II
Queens
- Adrien Block Intermediate School
- The Gordon Parks School for Inquisitive Minds
- Hunter's Point Community Middle School
- JHS 190 Russell Sage
- M.S. 217
- P.S. 111Q Jacob Blackwell School
Brooklyn
- Bridges: A School for Explorations and Equity / MS 915
- Brooklyn Green School
- I.S. 392
- I.S. 96 Seth Low
- John J. Pershing Middle School I.S. 220
- Kappa V / M.S. 518
- Liberty Avenue Middle School
- M.S. 447
- P.S./I.S. 30 Mary White Ovington School
- Restoration Academy
Bronx
- M.S. 101 The Edward R. Byrne School
- P.S./M.S. 5 Port Morris School of Community Leadership
- P.S./M.S. 31X
- P.S./I.S. 218 Rafael Hernandez Dual Language Magnet School
- Pugsley Preparatory Academy
Staten Island
- P.S./I.S. 48
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