Northview Senior Academy Selected For Theatrical World Premiere Of STAR-CROSSED
Northview Senior Academy in Kodak, TN is the first high school in the nation to be selected to help develop the world premiere.
Northview Senior Academy in Kodak, TN is the first high school in the nation to be selected to help develop the world premiere of STAR-CROSSED: A Gender-Defying R & J in Verse & Beats, with a performance given the third week of February, 2025.
This reimagining of Romeo & Juliet by playwright, actor, and educator Daniel Robert Sullivan (Dear Evan Hansen, Jersey Boys, Motown the Musical) targets teenage actors and high school theatres, offering them a fresh way to connect with classic themes through modern rhythms and customizable, genre-bending music.
With 17 roles that can be portrayed as any gender, STAR-CROSSED encourages inclusivity and creative expression, allowing for optional ensemble members and even a live DJ. Featuring a runtime of 80 minutes or less, STAR-CROSSED is designed for adaptability without compromising on its vibrant energy or the emotional intensity of Shakespeare's original plotting.
Under the direction of Kristie Wallis, Northview Senior Academy previously enjoyed national acclaim when they were selected by Disney Theatricals to be the only school in Tennessee to present the hit Broadway musical Frozen in an academic setting, an accolade awarded to only the most deserving performing arts departments in the nation. Wallis calls this workshop of STAR-CROSSED an "amazing opportunity."
The high school premiere presentation includes a fierce ensemble of teenage actors and script consultants, including Shane Martin, Willow Henegar, Lucas Cardova, Lilly Goodall, Cassie Neville, Kendyll Kitchen, Nolyn Altman, Maverick Zurcher, Danny Young, Tristan Cutshall, Loki Grismore, Dylan Robinson, Sarah Grace Chapman, Raine Wilson, Jazmine Moates, Ash Siewert, Jaden Gray, Dixie Chastain, Kayla Sizemore, Addie Mayfield, Hailey Henderson, Brady Hickman, Baden Moneymaker, Bianca Ortega, and Jaylynn Ramsey.
"I'm thrilled to have the esteemed performing arts department at Northview working with me for this premiere high school presentation," says Sullivan. "The themes of Romeo & Juliet could not be more important today, and the rhymes and modern music in STAR-CROSSED aim to create an accessible way of wrestling with these universal struggles. And I'm learning just so much from these smart actors at Northview about what connects with their generation!"
STAR-CROSSED makes Shakespeare's timeless story new again with the innovative use of rhyming couplets, designed to give directors and students the flexibility to present it as a traditional verse drama or a musical. Each scene has original, licensable music that complement Sullivan's verse or can inspire student-led beat creation, further emphasizing the play's adaptability.
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