Freddie Gershon News

iTheatrics Junior Theater Festival Atlanta (#JTF) was held January 18-20, 2019 at The Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

Chance Theater, Anaheim's official resident theater company, is pleased to announce the first show in its fifth season of our TYA Family Series... James and The Giant Peach. With book by Timothy Allen McDonald, music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, based on the book by Roald Dahl, and directed by Darryl B. Hovis, James and The Giant Peach will preview from February 15 through February 17; regular performances will begin February 17 and continue through March 3 at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center on the Fyda-Mar Stage.

With stars in their eyes, an intrepid team of 41 young performers known as the "Aussie All Stars" are headed to the United States to serve as Australia's youth musical theatre ambassadors.  The student performers will begin their journey in New York City to participate in theatrical performance workshops and attend Broadway shows.  From there, the Aussie All Stars will head to the annual Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, GA, and finish their adventure in Anaheim, CA by participating in the Disney Performing Arts program.

Disney Theatrical Productions President & Producer Thomas Schumacher, Frozen songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, Caissie Levy (Frozen on Broadway), legendary Broadway and West End producer (and Chairman of Music Theatre International) Sir Cameron Mackintosh, songwriting team Pasek & Paul, Taylor Iman Jones (Head Over Heels), Ryan McCarten (Heathers The Musical), Billy Jenkins ('The Crown,' 'Holmes & Watson'), Luca Padovan (School of Rock), and Isabella Russo (School of Rock) are some of the stars confirmed for the 2019 iTheatrics Junior Theater Festival Atlanta (#JTF), happening January 18-20, 2019 at The Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

Fame is said to be fleeting, but it isn't in London -- at least not where the musical is concerned.

The Educational Theatre Foundation's fourth annual Broadway Back to School event, benefiting school theatre education programs for schools in need, was held Sunday, September 23, 2018 at Feinstein's/54 Below in New York City.

Music Theatre International Australasia, in partnership with AMICI Trust in New Zealand and producers Shane Bransdon and Daniel Stoddart, founders of OzTheatrics in Australia, and in collaboration with iTheatrics from the United States, will present the third annual Junior Theatre Celebration Australia in Newcastle, Australia on Friday 26th & Saturday 27th October and the second Junior Theatre Celebration New Zealand in Auckland, New Zealand on Friday 2nd & Saturday 3rd November 2018.

The Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) announces a major gift from Jeffrey Seller, in support of its JumpStart Theatre program that builds sustainable musical theatre programs in middle schools that previously had none. The gift will enable the program to expand to a new city in 2019.

The Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) is pleased to announce a major gift from Jeffrey Seller, in support of its JumpStart Theatre program that builds sustainable musical theatre programs in middle schools that previously had none. The gift will enable the program to expand to a new city in 2019.

The fourth annual Broadway Back to School, benefitting theatre education programs for underserved schools, takes place September 23 at Feinstein's 54 Below in New York City.

MTI is one of the biggest names in the theatre industry responsible for licensing shows and guarding the rights of the brightest creative minds. BroadwayWorld spoke with two staff insiders to find out what the licensing process is, how Junior musicals are developed, and more!

Key leaders in education and the theatrical industry will be honored by the Educational Theatre Foundation  (ETF) with the Broadway Back to School Award. The inaugural recipients are Freddie Gershon, Co-Chairman of Music Theatre International (MTI), and Dr. Sharon Dunn, formerly Senior Manager for Arts Education for the New York City Department of Education, for their work in initiating the Broadway Junior program, which was a breakthrough in the history of school theatre.

Key leaders in education and the theatrical industry will be honored by the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) with the Broadway Back to School Award. The inaugural recipients are Freddie Gershon, Co-Chairman of Music Theatre International (MTI), and Dr. Sharon Dunn, formerly Senior Manager for Arts Education for the New York City Department of Education, for their work in initiating the Broadway Junior program, which was a breakthrough in the history of school theatre.

Eight outstanding educators from schools and performing arts centers around the U.S. will work one-on-one with Broadway greats at the 9th Annual FREDDIE G FELLOWSHIP July 11th - 14th. The event has once again been underwritten by Myrna and Freddie ("G") Gershon, Co-Chairman of the global theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI). The four days of classes and activities honor instructors and teachers who are working to make a difference for their students and communities through the process of staging musical theatre productions in their schools and educational theatre groups. In addition to the all-expense paid visit to New York, each of the teachers' schools receives $5,000 from Freddie and Myrna. The teachers are empowered to identify and select how their respective school's theatre program can best utilize the funds.

Music Theatre International (Europe), one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, is proud to announce the second annual Junior Theatre Celebration (JTC), to be held at Leicester Curve on Sunday, 3 June. The event provides an opportunity for young students to celebrate their love of musicals and experience the transformative power of theatre.

The 13th annual Shubert Foundation/Music Theatre International Broadway Junior Student Finale will take place on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street).

The 13th annual Shubert Foundation/Music Theatre International Broadway Junior Student Finale will take place on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street). The event will be hosted by Kelvin Moon Loh and Vasthy Mompoint, stars from Broadway's new hit, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, The Broadway Musical. The Shubert Foundation / MTI Broadway Junior partnership is a groundbreaking musical theatre mentorship program that helps public schools affect school culture change through building sustainable theatre education programs. Hundreds of participating students will share musical numbers from their fully produced school shows at the Finale. For many, their first musical theatre experience performing will be on Broadway.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced the 2018 winners of the Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards-a series of annual grants which recognize American teachers by spotlighting their extraordinary impact on the lives of students. Four teachers were selected in 2018 from a pool of nominations received through the Kennedy Center's website. Award recipients each receive $10,000 and are showcased, along with the former students they inspired, on a website dedicated to inspirational teachers. The awards, created by the Center in honor of Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday in 2010, were initiated and funded through the generous support of Myrna and Freddie Gershon. To date, 75 awards totaling $750,000 have been presented.

As magical as the evening was, after Freddie Gershon gave an impassioned presentation to the duo, Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones hit the stage and brought the house down at ages 88 and 89 respectively. They joined forces onstage to perform a song from their musical The Bone Room, described by Jones as being about 'the pleasures of dying and being embalmed in this great country of ours.' Below, watch as they perform together for the last time. BWW feels privileged to share with you a bit of highlights of these two legends together before a rapt and ecstatic audience who precded to shower them with a (well deserved) standing ovation... RIP Harvey Schmidt. 

Cameron Mackintosh and Freddie Gershon announced today that they have appointed Drew Cohen as the new Chief Executive Officer of Music Theatre International (MTI).