Celebrating over 20 years of acclaimed musical theatre training for young thespians, the Centenary Stage Company’s Young Performers Workshop returns to the Little Theater August 4 through August 13 with the annual Summer Festival of Shows. These talented young thespians between the ages of 8 and 18 will present a variety of musical theater favorites including; The Robber Bridegroom, She Loves Me, Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr., Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs and the ever-popular One-Act Festival.
With a book and lyrics by Alfred Uhry and music by Robert Waldman, The Robber Bridegroom is a rousing, bawdy Southern fairytale from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Driving Miss Daisy and is one of the only genuine bluegrass scores ever heard in a Broadway musical. Set in 18th century Mississippi, the show follows Jamie Lockhart, a rascally robber of the woods, as he courts Rosamund, the only daughter of the richest planter in the country. The proceedings go awry, however, thanks to a case of double-mistaken identity coupled with an evil stepmother, a pea-brained henchman and a hostile talking head-in-a-trunk, making for a rollicking country romp.
The YPW program has been led by Broadway, film and television veteran, Michael Blevins. YPW is dedicated to the enrichment of young lives through experience in the theatre arts, and serves as a venue for cultivating young theatre performers. The program is one of only a handful in the nation that offers both formal training and production experience for young people.
Tickets for the Young Performers Workshop Summer Festival of Shows are $12.50 for adults and $10 for children under 12. Tickets are available on-line at centenarystageco.org or by phone at 908-979-0900. The Centenary Stage Company box office is open Monday through Friday from 1 – 5pm and two hours prior to every performance. Centenary Stage Company’s Young Performers Workshop is sponsored by Panther Valley Pharmacy.
Centenary Stage Company
Centenary Stage Company is a performing arts center located on the campus of Centenary University. Year-round events include Professinal Theater Series, music events, dance events, a Women Playwrights Series, Young Performers Workshop, an annual holiday spectatular, and more!