The Shubert Foundation and Music Theatre International hosted the 2024 Broadway Junior Student Finale May 23 at Broadway's Ambassador Theatre. See photos from the event in the gallery below.
Co-hosted by MJ The Musical's Apollo Levine and The Great Gatsby's Sara Chase, the performance was the culmination of a mentorship program that helps build sustainable theatre education programs in NYC public schools. Hundreds of students who participated in the program brought a musical number from their fully produced school show to the finale performance, giving them a chance to sing and dance on a Broadway stage.
Students performing from Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR.
Students performing from Disney’s The Lion King JR.
Sara Chase and Apollo Levine
Drew H. Cohen, a student from Brownsville Collaborative Middle School of Agriculture and Technology; Diana Phillips, a student from P.S. 347 The American Sign Language & English Lower School, Apollo Levine, a student from P.S. 218 Rafael Hernández Dual Language School, Sara Chase, and Peter Avery
Apollo Levine, students from Brownsville Collaborative Middle School of Agriculture and Technology, P.S. 347 The American Sign Language & English Lower School, and P.S. 218 Rafael Hernández Dual Language School, and Sara Chase
Drew H. Cohen, Timothy A. McDonald, Apollo Levine, Sara Chase, and Peter Avery
Diana Phillips, Apollo Levine, Sara Chase, Amy Dorfman Wine, and Peter Avery
Students from all five boroughs were represented this year, with shows including Disney's Aladdin JR., Annie JR., Fame The Musical JR., Disney's Frozen JR., Disney's High School Musical JR., Into the Woods JR., Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR., Shrek The Musical JR., Disney's The Lion King JR., Disney's The Little Mermaid JR., and Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR.
The program is sponsored by The Shubert Foundation, Music Theatre International, and New York City Public Schools. Shubert Foundation President Diana Phillips and MTI President and CEO Drew Cohen were on hand for the event, along with representatives from the NYC School Arts Office, prominent NYC arts educators, and members from the professional theatre community.
“New York City is home to some of the greatest arts and cultural institutions in the world. Opportunities like this give our students the confidence to pursue their artistic dreams and create memories that last a lifetime,” Schools Chancellor David C. Banks said in an earlier statement. “I am grateful to our partners at the Shubert Foundation and Music Theatre International for their commitment to the arts and to our young people.”
"Every year, our middle school students light up a Shubert stage with their exuberant performances and uplift us all with their infectious spirit and energy,” added Phillips. “Almost 30,000 students have now benefited from this remarkable program and it is both a joy and a privilege for us to participate in these formative and memorable experiences.”
“From its inception, Music Theatre International has been a proud partner of The Shubert Foundation and the NYC Public Schools as we all help bring the joy of musical theatre to young people and their communities,” said Cohen. “Theatre builds collaboration, perseverance, empathy, confidence, and creativity—skills that will help students succeed in school and in life. We are grateful to the students, of course, and also to the teachers, teaching artists, and parents who make this opportunity a reality for the children.”
“How amazing that these middle schools are building the capacity to produce inclusive musicals for their school communities,” added NYCPS Director of Theater Peter Avery. “To then have their kids share what they learned, their collaboration, their creativity on a Broadway stage…priceless!”
