Opening Night Theater has been accepted into the 2024 Junior Theatre Festival West in Sacramento!
What is the Junior Theater Festival (JTF)?
The Junior Theater Festival is the world's largest celebration of young people and musical theater!
JTF brings together student musical theater troupes from all over the world for a weekend of musical theater mayhem and madness. Each troupe performs fifteen minutes from a Broadway Junior show for adjudication by a panel of musical theater experts. The weekend also features professional development for teachers, workshops for students and parents, a New Works Showcase featuring new musical adaptations soon to be released and concludes with a grand finale concert headlined by Broadway’s best!
The Junior Theater Festival is sponsored by Playbill, Disney Musicals, and Music Theatre International.
Events include: Adjudications, workshops for students and teachers, the New Works Showcase, Awards Ceremonies, specially curated mainstage productions featuring Broadway's finest, and the largest collection of musical theater lovers under one roof. Held annually in Atlanta, GA and Sacramento, CA, JTF has become a must attend musical theater event and previously has hosted the launch for Disney's High School Musical and NBC's SMASH. The festival has welcomed guests such as Disney Theatrical Productions President, Thomas Schumacher, musical theater writers such as Stephen Schwartz, Alan Menken, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Bobby Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, Jeanine Tesori, actors like Cynthia Erivo, Stephanie J. Block, Ali Stroker, Sebastian Arcelus, Michael James Scott, Taylor Iman Jones, Kara Lindsay, Luca Padovan, Caissie Levy, Daniel Yearwood, Skylar Astin and many more. It is a weekend of true musical theater mayhem that is not to be missed.
Auditioning for Opening Night Theater’s 2024 JTF Team:
Please note that the Junior Theatre Festival teams must consist of a MINIMUM of 20 individuals (including directors & chaperones) and MAXIMUM of 40. This is considered to be an advanced performance troupe and we do not take everyone who auditions. If you are not selected this year, we encourage you to try out again in the future. The size of our team is also limited by our performance selection and the assigned roles within that selected production.
Being a part of the JTF Team is an incredibly large commitment which requires dedicated, passionate, hard working students that are capable of working, learning and memorizing at a fast pace.
Being a part of this team requires the ability to be professional, kind and respectful in but not limited to all airports, on airplanes, in the hotel, at the festival, during workshops, rehearsals, backstage, performances, with adults and to assigned chaperone. RESPECT for fellow performers, directors, production team, property and the rehearsal process is a must.
Auditioning performers must be between the ages of 8-18.
Those auditioning will submit a video consisting of a chosen MONOLOGUE and SONG selection (provided by ON!). All provided selections will be included in our 15-minute performance, and will be pulled from our chosen 2024 JTF show:
Why ANNIE? Each year, a handful of new Broadway Junior productions are released for organizations like our own to license and perform (Matilda Jr., Newsies Jr., Mean Girls Jr., etc). The Opening Night Theater team dug deep, and decided to go with a true classic. We believe that performing a routine featuring song and scene selections from ANNIE will allow us to showcase the diverse talents and skills of our Opening Night participants. These characters and songs are iconic, and will allow us to be inventive in shaping our performance.
Audition materials will be sent out on Friday, August 4th, 2023.
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Program Schedule:
Following the selection of our 2024 JTF performers, our team will begin rehearsing regularly (with some exceptions) on Saturday mornings from 10am-12pm at the Lankershim Performing Arts Center (5108 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91601). This rehearsal space consists of a black box theatre, gallery, and dance studio, and will provide the necessary environment for our team to be successful.
Our rehearsals will also consist of guest choreographers & music directors to work with our team in shaping the sharpest possible routine.
There will also be additional events & showcases for our team to perform and workshop our routine throughout the rehearsal process.
Auditions & Rehearsals
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Audition materials sent out Friday, 8/4/23
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Audition videos due Friday, 8/25/23
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JTF Team announced on 9/1/23
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Rehearsals begin Saturday, 9/9/23 from 10am-12pm at Lankershim Performing Arts Center (5108 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91601)
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September: 9/9/23, 9/16/23, 9/23/23, 9/30/23
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October: 10/7/23, 10/14/23, 10/21/23, 10/28/23
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November: 11/11/23, 11/18/23, 11/25/23
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December: 12/9/23, 12/30/23
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January: 1/6/24, 1/20/24, 1/27/24
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February: 2/3/24
Showcases & Events
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HOLD for Larchmont Fair Performance: Saturday, 10/29/23
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Showcase Rehearsal: Thursday, 1/11/24 from 4:30pm-7pm
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Showcase Rehearsal: Friday, 1/12/24 from 4:30pm-7pm
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Showcase Performance Day: Saturday, 1/13/24 from 12pm-8pm (performance at 6pm)
JTF Trip
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Leave for JTF (Sacramento): Thursday Evening, 2/8/24
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JTF Sign-In & Full Festival Day: Friday, 2/9/24
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Full Festival Day & Adjudication Performance: Saturday, 2/10/24
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Partial Festival Day & Depart for Home: Sunday, 2/11/24
Payment Schedule & Details:
Approximate cost of JTF program participation includes all JTF dues/admission to the festival, rehearsals, showcases, staff, shirts, festival lodging, transportation (airfare, to/from hotel), and festival meals. Hotel is based on an occupancy of four to a room.
Opening Night Theater will initiate fundraising efforts throughout the program to help ease the costs for individual families. Each individual selected for our team will be given a “Send Me to JTF” donation page where friends and family can contribute to their JTF program fund.
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Approximate Cost Per Performer: $1,750
Approximate Cost Per Chaperone: $875
Down Payment Due: 9/2/23
$560
Covers rehearsals, staff, materials, and more!
Fundraising Begins 9/9/23! Each participant receives their own dedicated fundraising page. Fundraising covers the individual JTF program fee, lodging, and travel.
First Fundraising Goal - $340: 9/23/23
Second Fundraising Goal - $700: 10/14/23
Final Fundraising Goal - $1150: 10/14/23
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Remaining Balance Due: 10/28/23
Fundraising goal/balance may vary for each participant depending on the following:
Whether your travel is being booked through ON! or if you're making your own travel arrangements.
If your parent/guardian will be joining us as a chaperone.
Thank you for registering to audition for our 2024 JTF Team! Audition materials will be sent out on August 4th, 2023.
