Audition Oct. 5 or 6 for Starlight STARS of Tomorrow

An education program that has been a fixture at Starlight Theatre for more than a decade took on a new twist in 2017. If one youth performance troupe at Starlight is good, wouldn’t two be better?!

A decision was made earlier this year to split the popular Starlight STARS of Tomorrow program into two age groups and two time periods. After more than a decade of building the auditioned performance troupe with talented young artists from grades 7 through 12, Starlight education leaders increasingly recognized that students’ training needs and schedules differed greatly across that age range.

“The differences between a seventh-grader and a senior in high school in terms of skills, readiness and even availability are significant,” explained Amy Reinert-Price, Starlight’s director of education. “We learned over time that our program would better serve both the participating students and Starlight if we shook it up a bit!”

The result is two programs going forward:

• Starlight STARS of Tomorrow is newly envisioned as a “feeder program” to the Starlight STARS. Students currently in grades 6 through 8 are invited to audition on Thursday, Oct. 5 or Friday, Oct. 6 (check-in begins at 6:30 p.m.) for Starlight’s new middle-school performance troupe.

  Selected students will come together this fall to (1) create a medley of holiday music to perform at holiday events across the metro, (2) receive intensive training in acting, singing and dance, and (3) participate in a master class with a local musical theatre professional. The goal of the program is to help the young artists build foundational skills and grow in their craft.

• Starlight STARS is now a summer program for students entering grades 9 through 12 in the fall. High school performers are invited to audition in the spring. Those selected come together in spring and early summer to learn a song-dance medley of numbers from Starlight’s summer Broadway season shows. The STARS then perform their medley on Starlight’s Spotlight Stage on selected nights during each Broadway production, as well as at a few community events. Their final performance is at the Starlight Annual Benefit Gala in September. During their summer at Starlight, the STARS also receive intensive training in acting, singing and dance, and participate in master classes led by local and national musical theatre professionals.

Click for Oct. 5 or 6 audition information for the new class of Starlight STARS of Tomorrow.