Kick Off Summer with Camp Rock: The Musical!

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Kick off your summer with this fun, rock-n-roll show featuring toe-tapping songs and high-energy dance moves! Based on the hit Disney Channel movies, two rival camps battle it out in a rockin' summer they will never forget. CYT Chicago’s Northwest Cook County’s production of Disney’s Camp Rock: The Musical runs May 24-31 at Prairie Lakes Theater, 515 E. Thacker St. in Des Plaines.

A classic story of rivalry and power, Disney's Camp Rock: The Musical opens with Mitchie and her friends arriving at Camp Rock, ready to spend another summer jamming out and having the time of their lives. But the new, flashy Camp Star across the lake now threatens Camp Rock's very existence. Only by coming together can the campers save what they love.

“Camp Rock is special because it is a story about community,” says Sophie Murk, who is making her CYT directorial debut with this spring production. “It’s about what happens when young people come together with all their creative abilities to make something special, and how both competition and collaboration fit into that mix.”

The stage version of this story is a combination of two Disney Channel Original Movies, Camp Rock (2008) and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010). While the plot of this musical primarily follows Camp Rock 2’s story line, some of the songs and characters from the first movie are included.

“The movie musical has been around forever!” says Murk. “Disney took the genre and made it cool for a younger generation. So many kids were inspired to do musical theater because of movies like Camp Rock.”

Originally intended as a vehicle for the popular brother-based band The Jonas Brothers (featuring Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas), the film also starred newcomer Demi Lovato as Mitchie Torres.

“Mitchie is ambitious and fights for what she believes in,” says Kaylee Hayden, who plays Mitchie in CYT’s production. “She loves Camp Rock, and she doesn’t want to lose it.” To keep the doors open when the rival Camp Star “steals” their staff, she rallies her fellow Camp Rockers to take on more responsibilities and come together as a community to support the camp.

Sierra Fermin plays Tess Tyler, one of the Camp Rockers who sees Camp Star as an opportunity to kick off her career. “Tess is the Camp Rock diva. She feels like she owns Camp Rock, but when she sees Camp Star, she joins the other camp.” Tess’s mother is a famous pop-star, and Fermin’s character longs to follow in her mother’s footsteps.

As the camps continue to compete, a live television contest is planned to determine which camp is the best. As the two groups work on their performances for the show, they both learn very different lessons about community and collaboration. Camp Rock’s campers support and cheer each other on, while Tess finds that she misses her friends amid the high expectations of Camp Star’s drive to win. Ultimately, Camp Rock focuses on fun and friendship, performing “What We Came Here For” at the competition.

“This is a special show based in community and supporting art, and supporting each other THROUGH our art.” says Hayden. “It is perfect for everyone – so high energy, and so much going on!”

Jason Schmidt plays Shane Grey, a rock star from the band “Connect 3” (aka The Jonas Brothers) who has come to Camp Rock to spend more time with Mitchie. “People should see this show because the cast is so awesome - everyone is putting their all into the show, from top to bottom, and it will be special to watch.”

Much like the fictional Camp Rock campers, the CYT cast has come together as a community in support of the art of musical theater, and support each other throughout the rehearsals and performances.

For Hayden, Fermin, and Schmidt, this will be their final CYT show as performers … all three are graduating this spring. But ever since they began with CYT as young 9- and 10-year-old actors, they have been a part of this theater community, supporting the arts, supporting each other, and creating something special on stage.

“This show is a lesson about why we create things,” says Murk, who also was a CYT student and performer before attending the Conservatory of Theater Arts at Webster University in St Louis. She has returned to the CYT community to teach and direct. “We want to invite people in to share our stories and how we feel about things. When young people come together to express themselves through their music, it is magical.”

Come see the magic unfold. Join Mitchie, Shane, and Tess as they bring to life this fun, high-spirited story of friendship, community, and rock and roll, featuring great songs like “It’s On!” “Introducing Me,” and “This is Our Song,” along with amazing dance moves. Tickets are only $12-$15 presale, + $2 at the door (group, child, and senior prices available). Visit www.cytchicago.org and click on “Shows” or call 847-516-2298 to purchase tickets. The Prairie Lakes Theater seats only 300, so shows sell out very quickly.

PERFORMANCES:

Thursday, May 23rd @ 9:30am*

Thursday, May 23rd @ 11:45am*

Friday, May 24th @ 7:00pm

Saturday, May 25th @ 2:00pm

Saturday, May 25th @ 6:00pm

Sunday, May 26th @ 2:00pm

Thursday, May 30th @ 7:00pm

Friday, May 31st @ 7:00pm

*School field trip ticketing information is available here: https://www.cytchicago.org/schools/

https://www.cytchicago.org/shows/Disneys-Camp-Rock-The-Musical/25

Please call for handicap seating.