Posted on Nov 30, 2018 in
NEWSWORTHY
Sugar Land’s national award-winning community theatre, Inspiration Stage, offers a family-friendly show for the holidays at the historic Sugar Land Auditorium, located at 226 Lakeview Dr.
In cooperation with and at the special invitation of iTheatrics and Music Theatre International (MTI), Inspiration Stage will cooperatively develop, produce and present the junior adaptation of the musical version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, JR., Inspiration Stage’s second pilot production of the season.
iTheatrics adapts main stage Broadway musicals so they can be performed by kids in school and after-school settings. They create these adaptations for a distinguished list of clients, including MTI, one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies. Through the pilot process, the new Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer JR. adaptation will eventually be available for all theatres to license in the future.
“We’re thrilled to have been chosen to pilot a second iTheatrics/MTI show this season, after our successful Matilda JR. pilot production in October,” said Mandy Seymore-Sensat, Inspiration Stage’s artistic director. “It’s a huge honor and a lot of fun to get to pilot this fast-moving, fun, musical presentation of a holiday classic.” Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer JR. offers eight shows over two weekends, November 30th – December 9th.
The title role has been double cast with 10-year-old Holden Hagelberger appearing in half the shows and 11-year-old Jaxon Daniel in the other half.
“I am excited to play Rudolph in this pilot production because I love the story of Rudolph, and I can’t wait to bring him to life onstage,” said Hagelberger, an Avalon at Riverstone resident and Austin Parkway Elementary fifth grader performing in his thirteenth Inspiration Stage show.
Daniel, a Heritage Colony resident and also a fifth grader at Austin Parkway Elementary, is relatively new to theatre, having performed in five Inspiration Stage productions since beginning theatre less than a year ago.
“Rudolph is one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite Christmas TV shows, so I am very excited about this role,” Daniel said. “Inspiration Stage is fun and you get to meet new friends. I like to sing, act, and dance and the directors there teach you and care for you.”
The musical has all of the favorite characters from the special including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and of course, Rudolph. It’s an adventure that teaches us that what makes you different can be what makes you special, and it speaks to the misfit in all of us. The new junior musical is based on the animated television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and the stage production directed and conceived by Jeff Frank and First Stage.
Sienna Plantation’s Abby Deloney, 11, a sixth grader at Thornton Middle School, is one of the young actors cast as Clarice, and the role was double-cast with Pecan Grove’s Ashley Gilberg. She is excited to be in her fifth Inspiration Stage production.
“I am excited about being in this pilot production surrounded by my friends and amazing directors,” Deloney said. “It is even more exciting that I was chosen to play Clarice, because Rudolph is one of my favorite classic Christmas shows! It is so fun to be in the musical version of a show I have grown up watching every Christmas.”
Visit inspirationstage.com/shows/ for tickets and more information.
Inspiration Stage is a national award-winning performance arts studio located in the historic Sugar Land Auditorium at 226 Lakeview Dr. The 2018/2019 season includes youth and adult productions, as well as acting and production classes. Tuition assistance is available to qualifying participants. For tickets and information, visit www.inspirationstage.com.
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