Raue Center Heads Back To School With SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! JR.

Raue Center For The Arts' Sage Studio has announced that it will once again present its educational production program, Sage on Stage! This time, Sage on Stage is heading back to school with a full-scale production of "Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr." on October 9 - 17, 2021.

The Emmy Award-winning Saturday morning educational cartoon series and pop culture phenomenon is now the basis for one of the most fun and easily mounted musicals ever to hit the stage, "Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr."

This energetic musical follows a young school teacher, who is nervous about their first day of teaching. They try to relax by watching TV when various characters representing facets of their personality emerge from the set and show them how to win their students over with imagination and music. Memorable songs, "Just a Bill," "Interjections," and "Conjunction Junction" bring their lesson plans vividly to life.

Sage on Stage students will spend five weeks honing their musical theatre skills and learning all about the "behind the scenes" of what goes into a mainstage Raue Center show - while working alongside a team of professional Chicagoland directors, actors, and technicians. Students will get to build on the performance fundamentals taught in the classroom, then put those skills into practice for an audience as part of the youth cast for this full-scale production of "Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.", performing for two weekends on Raue Center's mainstage.

"We are so excited to be back in the theatre and relaunching this program for our amazing students--and they are going to put on quite a show!" said Sage Studio education manager, Amanda Flahive. "These students have worked hard in rehearsals honing their musical theatre skills alongside some incredible industry professionals from across the Chicagoland area, and their work is spectacular. We can't wait for audiences to share in the joy of live theatre once again after a long "intermission" over the past 18 months!"

The student cast is led by Campbell Krausen (15, homeschooled) and Mia Guerrieri (14, homeschooled) sharing the role of Dori, Caleb Timlick (14, homeschooled) and Tyler Hartz (14, CLSHS) sharing the role of Joe, Anna Timlick (15, homeschooled) and Laynie Ripley (13, Bernotas Middle School) sharing the role of Dina, Micah Timlick (12, homeschooled) and Josh Annen (11, Hannah Beardsley) sharing the role of George, and Meadow Roth (13, Creekside Middle School) and Hannah Covalt (15, McHenry High School) sharing the role of Shulie. Additional featured players include David Daskalov (12, Lundahl Middle School) as Elvis, Brooke Ulen (14, MCMS) as Bill, and Katherine Witt (14, Laurel Spring Academy) as Interplanet Janet.

The active ensemble is rounded out by: Paige Montanye (10) of Prairiewood Elementary; Brad Molter (12), Noah Rea (12), Maddie Olszewski (12), Lucy Thome (12), and Callie Koch (11) of Hannah Beardsley; Audrey Molter (9) of Coventry Elementary; Faith Zabielski (14) of Woodstock High School; Andrea Medina (14) of CLSHS; Arianna Richer (9) of Mary Endres; Evan Mai (11) of Harrison School; Reagan Kottke (13) of Immanuel Lutheran School; Blakely Voight (8) and Sydney Sullivan (13) of Martin Elementary School; Caroline Zimmerman (10) of Lincoln Prairie Elementary; Brooklyn Morey (11) of Johnsburg Elementary; Tatum McCarthy Schultz (10) of Prairie Grove Elementary; Joshua Haugk (10) of Indian Prairie Elementary; Lorelai Dickson (10) and Derek Walker (10) of Woods Creek Elementary; Faye Radeni (8) of Crystal Lake Montessori; Liam Burke (11) of Lundahl Middle School; and Carter Bergman (11) of LITH Elementary.

Tickets are $25 and may be purchased online at rauecenter.org or via the Box Office at 815.356.9212 or at 26 N. Williams Street in downtown Crystal Lake. Tickets for students ages 18 and under are $7 and may be purchased via the Box Office.

Raue Center makes safety its top priority. We are happy to join terrific organizations like League of Chicago Theaters, TCG, and AEA to make our community safer as we all reopen! In a greater effort to keep our patrons, staff, artists, and volunteers safe; Raue Center is now requiring masks for all patrons ages two and older. Patrons ages 12+ are required to provide proof of full vaccination status OR proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of attending indoor shows or events at Raue Center. Please visit https://www.rauecenter.org/covid/ for details. Questions? Please contact our Box Office at 815-356-9212.