New Youth Theatre Troupe Launches 2023 Season Of Legally Blonde

A new youth theatre initiative by the Musical Stars Performance Trust has seen teenagers from across the Wellington region collaborating with young performing arts professionals to produce a family-friendly version of the hit Broadway musical comedy: Legally Blonde Jr.

The upbeat high-energy show opens on the 9th September at the Lower Hutt Little Theatre and showcases the talents of 35 teenagers aged 13-17, who have loved the experience of working with a vibrant team of young local directors. “Musical Stars has grown my performance skills to a whole new level," says Ava Rutschbach, 17, from Wellington. "Since joining Musical Stars I have learned proper singing technique, how to pick up choreography quickly as well as learning to get confident with playing comic characters on stage."

Grace Hotop, 16, from Lower Hutt agrees that the experience has been hugely valuable to her as a performer: "It's given me an opportunity to feel what it's like to perform on a real stage in an adult setting while still being young."

Director Myles Knowles, 24, has relished the chance to bring young people together from around the region to collaborate on a creative project: “This initiative is such a positive one for these young people: they come together from all over Wellington and the Hutt Valley, different schools, different backgrounds, and they collaborate to make this amazing theatre magic happen. They have to learn to trust, to co-operate: it’s the ultimate team sport.”

While the musical Legally Blonde is full of comic moments, Knowles says it also has a deeper message that is hugely resonant with her teenage performers. "On the one hand it's a light-hearted show about sorority girl Elle Woods trying to follow her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School to win him back, but it also has a far deeper message about finding your authentic voice and being true to yourself. It's a great show for young people and families to see."

Producing and directing the show is coming full circle for Knowles, whose own acting career started with Musical Stars at the age of 5. Their career since then has taken them around the world, working with directors like Taika Waititi and back to Lower Hutt, where they are thrilled to be able to give back to the local community. “ Working with these teenagers is so inspiring and energising,” says Knowles. “ Their levels of commitment are incredible, and they are so eager for direction and advice on how to take their skills to the next level. They are learning skills that they can take into any area of life.”

Musical Stars student Georgia Burley agrees. “I can confidently say that Musical Stars is the reason for any successes I have achieved outside of it, as you improve your confidence and performing skills so much in each class.” Fellow performer, 14-year old Patrick Saunders agrees: "Thanks to Musical Stars I have become a much more confident person and become more assertive and sure of myself."

The Musical Stars Performance Trust has been running high-quality children’s musical theatre productions for the past 19 years, but this is the first time they have set up a separate initiative for teenagers. Musical Theatre has traditionally had a high drop-out rate as students enter high school, and Creative Director Talita Archibald wanted to provide an opportunity for teenagers to be mentored by young professional performers working in the industry. Her teachers regularly appear in Musical Theatre shows around Wellington, with tutor Catie Riordan recently making an appearance in the 2023 G&T Productions season of Wicked, and fellow teachers Meg Ledbeater and Isabella Kemp both featuring in Porirua Little Theatre's 2023 run of Little Shop of Horrors.

Vital support for Musical Star's kaupapa has come from Hutt City Creative Communities grants, with local Hutt and Wellington businesses Totally Frocked, Life Direct and Tarrant Dance Studios offering key sponsorship to enable the Trust to provide the high production values local audiences have come to expect from Musical Stars shows.

The Musical Stars Performance Trust is also currently supporting Primary and Intermediate students to produce the beloved Disney musical Aladdin Jr. for the Lower Hutt Little Theatre stage, opening on the 17th September.

Musical Stars Performance Trust Production of Legally Blonde Jr is on at the Lower Hutt Little Theatre, 10th-15th September. Tickets at https://www.trybooking.com/nz/events/landing/9740

Musicals Stars Performance Trust Junior Production of Aladdin Jr is on at the Lower Hutt Little Theatre, 17th-23rd September. Tickets at https://www.trybooking.com/nz/events/landing/9502

www.musicalstars.co.nz

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