New Star Children's Theatre Has a New Home in Fair Oaks!

The New Star Children's Theatre is a children's theatre troupe that I created when I was 16-years-old, in Trenton, Ontario Canada, many years ago. I had written my first children's musical at the age of 15, and with lots of encouragement from my high school drama teacher, and local businesses I brought the production to life with 32 local area school children. The town Legion club gave us a free place to rehearse, the high school gave us a free venue for our shows, the town newspaper wrote several stories on our progress, the town radio station let me come in with my guitar and record all of my original music for the show in their studios! The shows were a big success and I was hooked!

Throughout the next few years I continued to write musicals, and direct New Star, while finishing high school, moving to a new city, and going to college. All the while, I would continue to do shows with local kids, all originals. I was only 20 and had directed a multitude of kids in my own shows and I LOVED it!

After several years I became a mom of twins and moved to a new city, Ottawa, Ontario Canada where I held auditions for New Star, and again, my theatre troupe was off and running, and to this date is still going strong, run by my youngest sister Melanie Walker and my mother Carole-Ann Walker.

I moved to California to marry my husband in 2001. By 2002 I had New Star going again, in Brentwood California, where I directed numerous shows for 5 years. In 2008 I opened New Star in Folsom CA and continued to direct original musicals with kids from all over the Sacramento area. Then we moved into the Fair Oaks Community Clubhouse and formed a partnership with Fair Oaks Recreation dept where I hope to stay for years to come!

There are several things that make New Star unique. One is we accept EVERY child that auditions. They are given roles with lines. No one is ever just ensemble or chorus. I believe that every single child has a talent and deserves a chance to shine in the spotlight! Another unique thing about New Star is we do almost all original musicals which I write with my husband, daughter and some New Star cast members and Alumni. The thing I am most proud of about New Star is that we have a family atmosphere where old and young are accepted regardless of experience, talent, or age. EVERYONE is a friend. EVERYONE is welcoming. That is the biggest compliment I receive is how welcome every new child feels when they come in our doors and that means the world to me!

Come out and see our version of "Peter Pan, A New Musical" this weekend, Saturday Aug. 25 & 26 at 1 and 6:30 pm at Fair Oaks Community Clubhouse, 7997 California Ave, Fair Oaks, CA 95628. Tickets are available by calling 916-369-7141 or emailing me at newstarcal2@comcast.net Check out our website atwww.newstarchildrenstheatre.com

We have auditions/registration for our next show "The Totally True Story of Cinderella and the Prince" on Sept. 10th at the same location! Children ages 4-adult encouraged to audition!

You can also see our talented performance troupe of kids ages 7-16 Supernova, at this year’s Chicken festival in Fair Oaks (Sept 15th) on the bandshell at 4 p.m.