Arielle Jacobs, Adam Jacobs, Taylor Iman Jones and More To Appear at 2024 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta
The festival will take place January 12-14, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Dec. 20, 2023
iTheatrics and the Junior Theater Group has revealed 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.
“JTF Atlanta brings together 6,583 kids, teachers, parents, and Broadway pros to celebrate the arts,” shared Timothy McDonald. “Our attendees hail from 30 states, 4 countries, and nearly every walk of life. But our greatest joy comes from experiencing thousands of diverse people discover over just three days that they have more in common with each other than what sets them apart. That’s our secret sauce for making the world a better place one musical at a time.”
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.
“Beyond the all-star lineup of theater performers and creators who are headlining in Atlanta, it is always a thrill to see such a wide variety of Broadway Junior shows presented by groups from all over the country and around the world,” shared Drew Cohen, President and CEO of Music Theatre International. “The energy at the Festival is what brings people back year after year and is precisely why MTI pioneered this collection of shows over two decades ago.”
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.
Music Theatre International, Disney Musicals, Playbill, and RPM are the proud sponsors of the Junior Theater Festival.
ABOUT ITHEATRICS
Founded in 2006 and based in New York City, iTheatrics has established itself as the world’s leading authority on musical theater for young people. iTheatrics works with leading public and private companies around the world—including the Kennedy Center, NBC, leading licensors Concord Theatricals and Music Theatre International—to ensure young people everywhere have access to quality musical theatre programs.
Exclusive to organizations performing MTI’s 30 and 60-minute Broadway Junior® musicals and Online Editions, the Junior Theater Festivals bring together the best musical theatre professionals from Broadway and beyond with the largest audience of artists and arts supporters. Organizers will produce the in-person 2024 Junior Theater Festival West (#JTF) happening February 9-11, 2024, in Sacramento, CA. iTheatrics also produces, hosts, and supports one-day Junior Theater Celebrations and Junior Theater Festivals in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. In 2019, nearly 15,000 people worldwide attended a Junior Theater Festival or Junior Theater Celebration.
Past festival attendees have included Ahrens & Flaherty, Skylar Astin, Joshua Bassett, Shoshana Bean, Sierra Boggess, Nicholas Christopher, Darren Criss, Zac Efron, Cynthia Erivo, Megan Hilty, Arielle Jacobs, Kenny Leon, Caissie Levy, Kara Lindsay, Ryan McCartan, Lindsay Mendez, Alan Menken, Pasek and Paul, Ben Platt, Olivia Rodrigo, Samsel & Anderson; Steven Schwartz, Ali Stroker, and Jeanine Tesori.
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