Toronto Kids Head To Atlanta For Junior Theatre Festival

Local kids Seize the Day! A group of Toronto students aged 12 to 14 from Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts are preparing to travel to Atlanta this weekend to take part in the Junior Theatre Festival, the world's largest celebration of musical theatre for young people.

The students are members of Bravo Academy's Troupe Program, Toronto's premiere advanced musical theatre training program. The annual festival brings together thousands of young performers from around the world for a weekend of adjudicated performances, workshops, and learning opportunities with Broadway professionals and industry leaders.

At the festival, the Bravo Academy students will present selected songs and scenes from Newsies Jr. as part of their adjudicated performance. The musical, inspired by the real-life Newsboys Strike of 1899, highlights themes of teamwork, resilience, and youth empowerment, values that reflect the program's collaborative spirit.

In preparation for the festival, the students recently showcased their performance for their parents during an open rehearsal. This showcased months of intensive training in singing, dancing, and acting, as well as the dedication required to perform at an international level.

"For these students, this is an incredible opportunity to represent Toronto at an international festival," said Melissa Bencic, Founder and Artistic Director from Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts. "They are brilliant young artists that have worked extremely hard, and the Junior Theatre Festival is the world's biggest celebration of young people performing musical theatre and it allows them to connect with others who share their passion for theatre while learning from professionals they admire from Broadway and beyond."

The Junior Theatre Festival is known for fostering confidence, creativity, and connection among young performers. For the Bravo Academy students, the experience marks a milestone in their artistic development and a memorable moment in their musical theatre journey.

Bravo Academy for the Performing Arts is a Toronto-based performing arts school specializing in musical theatre training and offering programs, camps, and private lessons in music and acting for performers of all levels. All artists taking part in the JTF Festival in Atlanta are members of Bravo Academy's Advanced Musical Theatre Troupe Program.