Drama Students Win Big At iTheatrics Junior Theater Festival West

GLENDORA, CA — Students from Christian Arts and Theatre in Corona, Foothill Christian School in Glendora, Heights Christian School in La Mirada, and Ramona Middle School Drama in La Verne won national awards and earned recognition at the 2020 Junior Theater Festival West in early February.

Over 2,000 students and educators from 48 educational musical theater groups representing 15 states, the District of Columbia, Australia, England, and South Korea took part in the festival at Wells Fargo Pavilion.

Congratulations to all who participated in this event.

Awards

Christian Arts and Theatre won a Freddie G Outstanding Production award and performed for all 2,200 festival attendees during the closing ceremony.

Student Brie Duplechain also won a Freddie G Outstanding Performance by an Individual Performer award.

Foothill Christian School won a Freddie G Excellence in Acting award.

Heights Christian School won a Freddie G Excellence in Dance award.

Adjudications

Christian Arts and Theatre students presented selections from Disney’s Peter Pan JR. for Mary-Catherine Chambliss, program director of Manhattan Youth at The Anderson School in New York City and assistant choreographer for instructional choreography videos with MTI; Ryan Macaulay, musical director and producer of the JTF Europe, and Derek Bowley, music director and educator (Kennedy Center tour and premiere of The Phantom Tollbooth, world premiere of The Trumpet of the Swan at the Kennedy Center).

Mary-Catherine Chambliss said, "Christian Arts and Theatre's presentation was truly like the opening a story book of Peter Pan. The students handled the responsibility of a classic story with amazing success. Their presentation was truly magical." Derek Bowley said, "These actors never stopped working. They transitioned seamlessly from pirates to lost boys, to brave girls without missing a beat. Each time it was a full transformation of face, voice and body."

Ryan Macaulay said, "The Christian Arts and Theatre students offered us a confident, well-rounded and enjoyable performance. The strong acting from everyone on stage was a delight, and very strong vocal work and fearless performances kept the audience engaged from start to finish."

Foothill Christian School students presented selections from Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR., Heights Christian School students presented selections from Madagascar, A Musical Adventure JR. and Ramona Middle School Drama students presented selections from Disney’s The Lion King JR. for senior Vice President, creative director at NBC Entertainment Marketing & Digital, Dean McFlicker, senior educational consultant for iTheatrics, Cindy Ripley, and Julia Cuppy, director of education and outreach at La Jolla Playhouse.

Dean McFlicker said about Foothill Christian School, "I so admired the great acting from Amanda Butler as Ursula. Not only does she have a beautiful voice, but she also depicted a fantastic character. There were strong solo vocals throughout the whole show. Julia Argueta as Sebastian, Casey Miller as Ariel, and Dakota Jones as Scuttle entertained everyone with their amazing voices." Added Julia Cuppy, "Foothill Christian School's presentation had inventive staging and fun choreography." Cindy Ripley said, "This cast was so balanced all the way around, it made the undersea journey a prize for the audience."

Dean McFlicker said about Heights Christian School, "Jonah Lietzau is a star in the making and Nick Dunn was fantastic. The whole cast was strong from beginning to end. I especially enjoyed the with wonderful vocals and choreography on the showstopper 'Together Forever'." Added Julia Cuppy, "Heights Christian School's choreography was very well executed." Cindy Ripley said, "This was an undeniably great performance by a beautifully balanced ensemble! Everyone performed with humor, joy, and stellar choreography."

Dean McFlicker said about Ramona Middle School Drama, "This strong ensemble from Ramona Middle School Drama brought all the Disney's Lion King JR. animals to life with their wonderful movement and creative choreography. In 'Circle of Life,' Scar played by Eric Romero was scary good with great acting. The cast displayed incredibly balanced vocals." Added Julia Cuppy, "Ramona Middle School Drama made clever use of physicality to tell the story!" Cindy Ripley said, "This large ensemble told a timeless story with remarkable acting and vocal capabilities far beyond their years."

Additional Recognition

Christian Arts and Theatre’s Mason Bell and Josh Monteleone, Foothill Christian School’s Amanda Butler and Casey Miller, Heights Christian School’s Jonah Lietzau and Sophia Leon, and Ramona Middle School Drama’s Azure Pineda and Isabelle Flores were named to the Junior Theater Festival All-Stars, made up of outstanding performers attending the festival. The All-Stars performed a song during the closing ceremony for all 2,200 festival attendees.

Produced by the Junior Theater Group in partnership with iTheatrics, a leading educational theater company that creates innovative experiences and products for both the public and the private sector, the Junior Theater Festival West celebrates young people and the transformative power of musical theater. This year’s title sponsors were Music Theatre International, Disney Theatrical Group, and Playbill, Inc.