Village Theatre Kidstage Teenselect Reinvents HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Village Theatre KIDSTAGE TeenSelect produces Disney's High School Musical, running January 8-10, 2010 at Theatre at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

This Emmy-award winning modern day "Romeo and Juliet" was a breakout hit on the silver screen and is about to take the KIDSTAGE world by storm! When the captain of the basketball team and a bright transfer student decide to audition for the school musical, they find themselves caught in a hailstorm of stereotypes and cliques. Competing against the school's star performers, they struggle to prove to their classmates, and themselves, that you don't have to, "Stick to the status quo." This upbeat musical brings the halls of high-school to life, complete with humor, heartache, and a pop rock score including smash hits "We're All in This Together," "Get'cha Head in the Game," and "Breaking Free".

KIDSTAGE in Issaquah developed the TeenSelect program four years ago in order to offer another performance opportunity for teens. For the production of Seussical in 2006, KIDSTAGE was able to cast almost all the kids that auditioned, and 63% of those who were cast came from the Issaquah or Sammamish areas. This year for High School Musical, 100 kids auditioned for 42 roles. Now only 21% of those who were cast have come from Issaquah or Sammamish. The remaining cast members are coming in to town from cities such as: Bellevue, Renton, Seattle, Snoqualmie, and Woodinville.

"These facts shows that our KIDSTAGE programs have grown tremendously in the past four years, and dramatically spread outside of our local area, allowing kids from all over to participate," KIDSTAGE programs manager and director Suzie C. Bixler comments. "The program is becoming more well-known, and we feel great pride in the success of our programs."

KIDSTAGE's production of Disney's High School Musical features a large portion of the film's original music, plus some new tunes audiences will enjoy. The Theatre at the Meydenbauer Center seats 410, and KIDSTAGE anticipates a full house for each of the five performances. At this point, tickets are still available by calling the Village Theatre Box Office at (425) 392-2202.

KIDSTAGE TeenSelect's production of Disney's High School Musical is a full scale musical directed by Suzie Cameron Bixler with scenic design by Patricia Leo; musical direction by R.J. Tancioco; lighting design by Joseph Bennett; choreography by Eia Waltzer; costume design by Chelsea Blum; and sound design by Nick Suda. 

Theatre at the Meydenbauer Center
11100 NE 6th Street
Bellevue, WA 98004

When: January 8-10, 2010
Friday - Sunday 7:30pm
Saturday & Sunday 2:00 PM

Tickets: $13-$15 - ON SALE NOW
Box Office: (425) 392-2202 or
www.villagetheatre.org

About Village Theatre KIDSTAGE:
Designed to encourage teamwork, personal integrity, self-esteem, and a life-long appreciation for live theatre, KIDSTAGE is a year-round performing arts training program in Issaquah and Everett for young people ages 3-20. KIDSTAGE students participate in classes, workshops and full-scale KIDSTAGE productions. All performances are by KIDSTAGE students and classes are taught by professional theatrical instructors.

About Village Theatre
Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. What began in 1979 with the vision of a small group of dedicated theatre artists has grown into one of the region's best-attended resident theatres, with over 18,000 subscribers to the current season and 165,000 projected total attendance, youth education programs serving over 54,000 young people, families, and schools annually, and a nationally recognized program that has enabled the development of over 80 new musicals. Serving an expanding and diverse community, Village Theatre has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years with the start of our contract as the resident performing and management company at the Everett Performing Arts Center in 1998.