Photo Coverage: CCT Kicks Off 50 Years with CYJO and THE LITTLE MERMAID JR in a Night Under the Stars at Columbus Commons

The Columbus Children's Theatre kicked off a celebration of their 50th Birthday with the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra on August 2 at the Columbus Commons. A beautiful night, Mark Donavan led the CYJO in a Duke Ellington roundup of smooth jazz. The young, talented troupe played like seasoned professionals as they showcased their mature skills. Making an appearance from the swamp land was Shrek and Fiona as they danced with the crowd to "I'm a Believer", promoting the show at the Lincoln Theatre, which will run September 19-29.

The Summer Youth Performance Conservatory cast of Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr. then took the stage to showcase a few numbers from their upcoming production as Director, Ryan Scarlata, encouraged the audience to donate to their fundraising campaign. $7,500 is needed for the talented cast to travel to Atlanta to perform in the prestigious Junior Theatre Festival in January. A successful night of entertainment and fundraising, CCT managed to snag about $500 from the crowd that evening.

Check out all the photos from the event below!

CCT's The Little Mermaid Jr. runs August 7-18, 2013 at the Park Street Theatre. The first weekend is completely sold out, so get your tickets now!

For more information on Columbus Children's Theatre or to make a donation, please visit: http://www.columbuschildrenstheatre.org/. The direct link to donate is here.

Photo Credit: Christina Mancuso