HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL Grant to Send Musical to 11 Schools Nationwide
Huey Lewis and Jonathan Abrams introduced the grant at the International Thespian Festival.
The Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) and Music Theatre International (MTI) have announced the recipients of the inaugural Heart of Rock and Roll 'Power of Love' Grant.
The grant was first announced by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Huey Lewis and book writer Jonathan Abrams at the 2026 International Thespian Festival. Schools were invited to creatively and meaningfully incorporate the theme of the 'power of love' into their proposals.
Each selected school will receive a free production license for Heart of Rock and Roll, along with the requirement to bring the spirit of this grant into its broader community by hosting an intergenerational community event or outreach program of their own design.
The 11 grant recipients, listed alphabetically:
- Burlington County Institute of Technology - Medford - Medford, N.J.
- Cherry Hill High School West - Cherry Hill, N.J.
- Dr. Phillips High School - Orlando, Fla.
- Glendora High School - Glendora, Calif.
- Jasper High School - Jasper, Ala.
- Johns Creek High School - Johns Creek, Ga.
- Louisiana Thespians - New Orleans, La.
- Madison Consolidated High School - Madison, Ind.
- Riverside High School - Painesville, Ohio
- Riverton High School - Riverton, Utah
- Success Academy Hamilton Heights - New York, N.Y.
Through the 'Power of Love' Grant, ETF and MTI aim to use musical theatre as a catalyst for connection across generations and within local communities, extending the impact of Heart of Rock and Roll beyond the stage.
'We're deeply grateful for our partnership with MTI, which makes these incredible production grants possible for schools across the country,' says Janie Wallace Slavens, Interim Executive Vice President of the Educational Theatre Foundation. 'Heart of Rock and Roll has a unique ability to bring communities together through the great traditions of rock music and theatre, and we couldn't be prouder to help make that happen.'
'The Power of Love Grant gives students and teachers the chance to stage Heart of Rock and Roll, while bringing communities together across generations to celebrate a message that never goes out of style,' shared John Prignano, MTI's Chief Operating Officer & Director of Education and Development. 'We are grateful to our partners at ETF and to Huey and Jonathan for empowering the next generation of theatre artists.'
More information about ETF grants can be found at foundation.schooltheatre.org/grants.
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