The Chanhassen Dinner Theatre to Host STARKID, 3/30

One hundred high school students from the Twin Cities' area and beyond, are thrilled to have been selected to appear in Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' STARKID event to honor them and celebrate young talent. The honor is two-fold. First, STARKIDS have garnered the amazing opportunity to appear onstage, altogether in the finale of FOOTLOOSE at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres in a specially choreographed piece to showcase the students alongside the cast on Tuesday evening, March 30. Additionally, each student has also earned the dream "job," winning an actual role in a single future production of FOOTLOOSE during April or May (A maximum of four students will appear in each performance).

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' President and Artistic Director Michael Brindisi has assigned the students to actors in the professional acting company, whom the students will shadow through three production scenes and the musical finale. Students will participate fully in the experience which will include receiving their own dressing rooms and appearing in the curtain call. CDT Vice President and Choreographer Tamara Kangas-Erickson will stage the large-group event on March 30. She stated, "It will be interesting pulling all of this together for such a large group. It will be super-energizing for the audience and the STARKIDS." Brindisi and Kangas-Erickson have high hopes for the entire project. "We'll see what works and what might not this first go-around. We'd love it to be an annual event to celebrate the many, many talented kids in our communities."
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres contacted more than 70 high school music-theatre educators from Albert Lea to St. Cloud in the great search for STARKIDS. That search was a process taking many weeks. Music-theatre educators were asked to send students to represent the best talent their schools had to offer to participate in STARKID. More than 35 of those schools will participate. Chanhassen Dinner Theatres Public Relations Director Kris Howland stated, "March is a hugely busy month for music-theatre departments with many conflicts including school contests, productions, concerts, tours, spring break, and the like. We will likely plan this event for April in the future to be able to include every school in the area." (We'd go beyond the Twin Cities, but transportation is a large issue for students coming from a distance, especially in light of the midweek rehearsal requirements.)

Prior to the March 30th event, students will participate in two large-group rehearsal dates on Friday afternoon, March 26 and Tuesday afternoon, March 30. One of the greatest challenges will be getting the students from a backstage area and onto the stage. "That will be a major part of our rehearsal plan," stated Kangas-Erickson, who will also run those rehearsals.

For more information on Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, visit http://www.chanhassentheatres.com/

 

 

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