Photos: Long Island Musical Theatre Festival Wraps 2026 Season With GYPSY, ANNIE JR. and CARRIE: THE MUSICAL

Broadway performer Jeanna de Waal led a masterclass for the festival's advanced company at Adelphi University.

By: Stephi Wild Aug. 12, 2026

The Long Island Musical Theatre Festival (LIMTF) has concluded its 2026 summer season at Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, bringing together young performers from elementary school through college for two intensive weeks of training, collaboration and performance. Check out photos below!

Across its Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced programs, students worked alongside professional directors, musicians, teaching artists and current industry professionals, culminating in performances of Gypsy, Annie Jr. and Carrie: The Musical.

This year marked an exciting evolution for LIMTF's Beginner Training Program, as its youngest students took the stage alongside the Advanced Company in Gypsy. The experience gave students the opportunity to build foundational skills in acting, singing and movement and then put that training into practice as part of a fully staged mainstage production.

LIMTF's Intermediate Intensive company took on Annie Jr., building an entire production in just two weeks through intensive work in acting, vocal performance, choreography and ensemble storytelling.

The Advanced Intensive faced an especially ambitious challenge, mounting two different musicals during the two-week festival. Students first presented Carrie: The Musical before returning to the stage one week later in Gypsy, LIMTF's mainstage production, accompanied by a live professional orchestra.

The Advanced Company also worked with Broadway performer and educator Jeanna de Waal, who originated the role of Chris Hargensen in MCC Theater's reimagining of Carrie: The Musical. Students worked on the material with de Waal during a masterclass and stepped on stage to perform Carrie less than 24 hours later.

"There's something very special about watching students at every level of our program take on a challenge that is appropriate for where they are as performers," said Steven Altinel, Founder and Artistic Director of LIMTF. "For some of our youngest students, that meant stepping into a full production alongside our Advanced Company for the first time. Our Intermediate students built an entire show in two weeks, and our Advanced students took on two completely different musicals. We ask a lot of them, and every year we're amazed by what they're capable of accomplishing."

Across all three levels, LIMTF provides young performers with an intensive musical theatre training experience led by experienced teaching artists and current industry professionals. As students progress through the program, the expectations and challenges grow with them, while the focus remains on developing stronger, more thoughtful and more confident performers

With its 2026 season complete, LIMTF now looks ahead to its 15th season in 2027. Registration for the 2027 Long Island Musical Theatre Festival is currently open!

For more information, visit www.thelimtf.org.

Photo Credit: Shawn Salley Photography