Hennepin Theatre Trust Announces That A Record-Breaking 67 Schools Are Participating in 2013-14 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program

MINNEAPOLIS Hennepin Theatre Trust today announced that a record number of 67 schools will participate in the 2013-14 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program, the Trusts flagship education initiative sponsored by TCF Bank. Now in its ninth year, the SpotLight Musical Theatre Program honors and supports Minnesota high school musicals and students including 12 schools in greater Minnesota. The list of schools and the musicals they are performing is included below. The 2013-14 fall and spring musical performance schedule is also available online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org/spotlight.

The Trust established the SpotLight Musical Theatre Program after recognizing no such program of its kind existed in Minnesota to honor excellence in high school musical theatre. The program provides world-class educational, performing and creative experiences for students to develop skills to become the next generation of innovative arts leaders.

This year, the SpotLight Musical Theatre Program welcomes 11 new schools to the program. As a result of this exciting growth, the Trust has expanded the SpotLight Showcase to two events. This year-end culmination recognizes the extraordinary accomplishments of SpotLight participants with student performances and award presentations and is set for Sunday, June 8 and Monday, June 9, both at 7 p.m., at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets for both nights of the SpotLight Showcase go on sale Friday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. and may be purchased in person (no fees) at the State Theatre Box Office (805 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 55403), online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org, by calling 1.800.982.2787 or visiting a Ticketmaster Center.

SpotLight programs, workshops and performance opportunities are made possible by private donations and corporate contributions. To learn more about supporting SpotLight, visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org or contact Whitney Rhodes, SpotLight Manager, at 612.455.9531 or Whitney.Rhodes@hennepintheatretrust.org.

2013-2014 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program Participating Schools and Musicals:

Andover High School: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Bemidji High School: Disneys Beauty and the Beast

Benilde-St. Margarets, St. Louis Park: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Blaine High School: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

The Blake School, Minneapolis: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Buffalo High School: The Phantom of the Opera

Cambridge-Isanti High School: Bye Bye Birdie!

Centennial High School, Circle Pines: Once Upon a Mattress

Central High School, St. Paul: Little Shop of Horrors

Chanhassen High School: Urinetown: The Musical

Chaska High School: The Wizard of Oz

Chisago Lakes High School: Seussical: The Musical

Columbia Heights High School: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Concordia Academy, Roseville: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul: The Drowsy Chaperone and Oklahoma!

DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis: Grease

Eagan High School: All Shook Up

East Ridge High School, Woodbury: Elton John and Tim Rices Aida

Eastview High School, Apple Valley: Legally Blonde: The Musical

Edina High School: Fiddler on the Roof and Band Geeks

FAIR Downtown School: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Fridley Senior High School: Little Shop of Horrors

Forest Lake Area High School: A Year with Frog and Toad

Glencoe-Silver Lake High School: Footloose

Hibbing High School: Fiddler on the Roof

Hill-Murray School, Maplewood: Little Shop of Horrors

Irondale High School, Minneapolis: Shrek the Musical

Jefferson High School, Alexandria: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Kennedy High School, Bloomington: Elton John and Tim Rices Aida

La Crescent High School: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Lakeville North High School: The Music Man

Lakeville South High School: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Main Street School of Performing Arts, Hopkins: The Drowsy Chaperone

Maple Grove Senior High School: Guys and Dolls

Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis: Seussical: The Musical

Minnetonka High School: Young Frankenstein and Evita

Moorhead High School: Jesus Christ Superstar

Mounds Park Academy, St. Paul: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Mound Westonka High School: Copacabana

New Life Academy, Woodbury: Fiddler on the Roof

North High School, North St. Paul: Guys and Dolls

Park High School, Cottage Grove: Legally Blonde: The Musical

Richfield High School: Sweeney Todd

Roseville Area High School: The Wizard of Oz

Rogers High School: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

St. Francis High School: Shrek the Musical

Saint Johns Prep School, Saint Cloud: Grease

St. Louis Park High School: Once Upon a Mattress

St. Paul Academy and Summit School: The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Once on This Island

Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists: Fiddler on the Roof and Illyria

Shakopee High School: Anything Goes

Shattuck-St. Marys School, Fairbault: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Simley High School, Inver Grove Heights: Grease

South St. Paul Secondary School: Disneys Beauty and the Beast

Southwest High School, Minneapolis: Thoroughly Modern Millie

Spring Lake Park High School: Cabaret

Tartan Senior High School, Oakdale: Footloose and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Thomas Jefferson High School, Bloomington: Legally Blonde: The Musical

Totino-Grace High School, Fridley: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

VISTA Productions Theatre Department of Visitation School and Saint Thomas Academy, Mendota Heights: Gifts of the Magi and Shrek the Musical

Washburn High School, Minneapolis: Youre a Good Man Charlie Brown and Les Misérables

Watertown-Mayer High School: Seussical: The Musical

Wayzata High School: Kiss Me, Kate

White Bear Lake Area High School: Once Upon a Mattress

Winona Senior High School: Monty Pythons Spamalot

Woodbury High School: Guys and Dolls

Zimmerman High School: Disneys Beauty and the Beast

HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST, owner of the historic Orpheum, State, Pantages and New Century Theatres, is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to arts-inspired community cultural development. We achieve our mission by presenting a rich mix of live performances, creating inspiring arts education experiences and advancing a thriving Hennepin Avenue Cultural District in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Trusts activities include presenting Broadway touring productions and the related Broadway Confidential series, concerts, comedy, speakers and other variety entertainment plus educational initiatives including our SpotLight Musical Theatre and SpotLight Critical Review programs for high schools, Teen Ushers, the Access Program and Family Day events.

The SpotLight Musical Theatre Program is made possible with support from TCF Bank. The SpotLight Showcase is funded, in part, by the Minnesota State Arts Board through the arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

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