Creation Of New Musical For School Programs Across The Nation Continues At The Broward Center

In the grand tradition of "the show must go on," students at the Broward Center For the Performing Arts have taken their rehearsals online as they participate in a pilot program to create a new musical with industry leader Music Theatre International (MTI).

The Broward Center is one a handful of theaters in the country collaborating on the creation of Something Rotten! Jr., an adaption of the Something Rotten!, which was nominated for 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical. MTI's 30- and 60-minute Broadway Junior musicals are designed for young performers in elementary and middle schools.

"We love providing students the opportunity to create a new musical and fully immerse themselves in the production of a show from start to finish," said Tammy Holder, Broward Center's artist-in-residence, who is directing the show. "Although the circumstances have shifted and we are now rehearsing via Zoom, the children are still just as dedicated to making it an amazing show. It is truly remarkable to see their passion for the arts and the perseverance they have during this challenging time."

Something Rotten, Jr! is a tale of two brothers, Nick and Nigel, who are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of the Renaissance rock star known as "The Bard." After meeting a local soothsayer and learning that the future of theater involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world's very first musical.

MTI provides official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 70,000 professional, community and school theaters in the U.S. and over 60 countries worldwide. MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theater, creating special collections to meet the needs of various theater groups.

This is the second consecutive year the Broward Center has been chosen to collaborate with MTI following last year's successful pilot of Matilda Jr. With one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the United States, the Broward Center's educational initiatives serve more than 130,000 students each year with innovative programs that help students achieve at higher levels. To date, these programs have served more than 3.3 million students.

For more information visit BrowardCenter.org.