MTC To Hold Auditions, Participate In Junior Theater Festival

MOORESTOWN, NJ - There are still two days left to audition for the Moorestown Theater Company’s (MTC) winter musical production of “Disney’s Aladdin Jr.” Auditions for students in first through 12th grades will take place on Thursday and Saturday at First Baptist Church, 19 West Main Street. Auditions for MTC’s winter musical began on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Jan. 10, auditions will be held at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Jan. 12, they will take place at 1:30 p.m. The new version of the Disney musical features new songs from the current Broadway production.

This ‘Winter Stage’ show will have a cast between the ages of six to 18, and will feature such classic songs as “Arabian Nights,” “One Jump Ahead,” “Friend Like Me,” “Prince Ali” and “A Whole New World.”

New songs include “Proud Of Your Boy,” “These Palace Walls,” “Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim” and “High Adventure.” The show will be performed at a site TBA during the week of March 13 to 17, 2019.

Additionally, another round of auditions for “Mamma Mia!” for high school ages and up will take place at 4 p.m. at the church. The first round of auditions was held on Tuesday, one day after MTC performed the national anthem at Moorestown Council’s reorganization meeting.

This is the Burlington County premiere of the ABBA musical that features such classic songs as “Dancing Queen”, “The Winner Takes It All”, “Take A Chance On Me”, and the title song. This ‘Second Stage’ musical will be performed by high school students and adults at a site TBA from April 10 to 14, 2019.

This weekend, MTC begins its studio classes for acting, dance and voice. Classes begin at 9 a.m., and will also be held at the church. MTC Producing Artistic Director Mark Morgan will teach the acting classes. Dance Director Jody Haggerty will teach dance, and Managing Director Carol Ann Murray will teach the voice classes.

All three will be taught every Saturday. Next week, additional classes will begin on a weekly basis as follows:

• Wednesdays (starting Jan. 16): Dance Classes (taught by MTC Dance Director Jody Haggerty)
• Thursdays (starting Jan. 17): Dance Classes (taught by Broadway Vet Jen Grasso)
• Fridays (starting Jan. 25): Acting and Dance Classes (taught by Broadway Vet Jen Grasso)

MTC will once again participate in the Junior Theater Festival on Saturday, Jan. 19, in Atlanta, Georgia. MTC will perform “Seussical, Kids” and “Disney’s The Lion King Jr.” MTC will send 18 performers for “Seussical, Kids” and 32 for “Disney’s The Lion King Jr.”

The theater company has seen great success at the festival, which is held every Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend in Atlanta. MTC has won nine acting awards, including four cast and five individual awards, at the past six festivals.

Finally, for the 16th consecutive year, MTC will present a ‘Counsel Stage’ spring musical by the Our Lady Of Good Counsel School Drama Club. “Hairspray, Jr.,” which will be performed by a 40-member middle school cast. It has such great songs as “Good Morning Baltimore,” “Welcome To The Sixties,” “I Know Where I’ve Been,” “You Can’t Stop The Beat” and the title song.

“Hairspray, Jr.” will be performed at Our Lady Of Good Counsel School (23 W. Prospect Ave., Moorestown) on Thursday, March 28, at 6 p.m.; Friday, March 29, at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, March 30, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The attached image was provided by MTC.