It’s your chance to get a first-hand view into the creation of a new musical by the NYC-based production team, who will also debut the full show off-Broadway later this year.
SUGAR LAND, Texas (Aug. 28, 2019) – Inspiration Stage is proud to debut a world premiere pilot production of a brand-new musical, The Big One-Oh! JR, based on the novel by Dean Pitchford, in Sugar Land, Sept. 6 – 8.
Don’t miss the Saturday evening show, Sept. 7 at 7:30pm, which will be viewed live by the authors, composers and creators of the show, in from New York City. The audience will get to participate in a Q&A/Talkback session after the performance with: the librettist for The Big One-Oh! JR., Tim McDonald, iTheatrics and MTI Broadway Junior founder; the original book’s author, Dean Pitchford; and iTheatrics’ vice president of publishing and Broadway Junior’s resident choreographer, Steven Kennedy.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for not only our students participating in the pilot, but the general community, to learn about how the show was developed, straight from the New York professionals themselves,” says Mandy Seymore-Sensat, Inspiration Stage’s artistic director and the director and choreographer for The Big One-Oh! JR Pilot. The same professionals who created this junior version of The Big One-Oh! are also working on a full version of the show that will debut off-Broadway in October.
Inspiration Stage is producing The Big One-Oh! JR in cooperation with and at the special invitation of iTheatrics and Music Theatre International (MTI). iTheatrics adapts main stage Broadway musicals so they can be performed by kids in school and after-school settings. They create these adaptations for a distinguished list of clients, including MTI, one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies. Through the pilot process, Inspiration Stage’s creation of this brand-new musical will eventually be available for all theatres to license in the future.
“As the premiere pilot of a new Junior show, the actors and artistic team have the opportunity to create original characters, create the scenic design and create the choreography,” says the show’s director/choreographer and Inspiration Stage’s artistic director, Mandy Seymore-Sensat. “I’m beyond excited about the journey ahead of us. This pilot and world premiere is a huge honor and we are all jazzed to be a part of it This is an amazing opportunity for our production staff and cast — we get to breath life into this fabulous children’s book, from page to stage.”
The Big One-Oh! JR follows the story of Charley Maplewood, as he turns ten — the big one-oh — and decides to throw a party for himself, complete with a “House of Horrors” theme. Charley has never been one for parties — that would require friends, which he doesn’t have. So, of course things don’t work out as he plans. In trying to make friends, he ends up inviting the class bully Cougar to come, and that’s before he ruins the cake and sets the garage on fire. Will Charley be able to pull it together before the big one-oh . . . becomes the big OH-NO!?
Eleven-year-old Jaxon Daniel, a 6th grader at First Colony Middle School who lives in Sienna Plantation, is excited to appear in his 8th show with Inspiration Stage as the lead character, Charley Maplewood. Daniel says, “I am excited to play Charley. It will be a fun experience to create the entire show! This brand new pilot production is an amazing opportunity for everyone at iStage.”
With four shows over the weekend of Sept. 6 – 8, The Big One-Oh! JR has a cast of 40 talented youth, ages 8 – 17. Joining Seymore-Sensat on the iStage production team are music directors Benjamin Luss and Relana Gerami-Luss and stage manager Courtney Sackett.
Showtimes are: Fri. Sept. 6 at 7:30pm; Sat. Sept. 7 at 3:30pm and 7:30pm; and Sun. Sept. 8 at 3:30pm. For information and tickets, visit https://inspirationstage.com/shows/the-big-one-oh-jr-pilot-production/.
Inspiration Stage is a national award-winning performance arts studio located in the historic Sugar Land Auditorium at 226 Lakeview Dr. The 2019/2020 season was recently announced and includes ten youth productions, as well as acting and production classes. Tuition assistance is available to qualifying participants. For tickets and information, visit www.inspirationstage.com.