Hennepin Theatre Trust Announces 56 Schools Participating in the 2011-12 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program

MINNEAPOLIS—Hennepin Theatre Trust today announced that a record 56 schools will participate in the 2011-12 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program, including 13 new schools and nine from greater Minnesota. Now in its seventh successful year, SpotLight is the Trust’s flagship education initiative which honors, supports and advocates for Minnesota high school musical theatre students and programs. In a new partnership beginning in 2011, TCF Bank will become a SpotLight corporate sponsor. A full list of participants is included at the end of this press release and a fall 2011 performance schedule for SpotLight schools is available by request and online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

The SpotLight Musical Theatre Program honors high school musicals and students by formally recognizing the extraordinary achievements and contributing to the process of developing young talent in Minnesota’s high school musical theatre programs. Statewide, SpotLight musicals are made possible by the collaboration of almost 5,000 students and are annually seen by an estimated 105,000 audience members. This year, highlights include the first high school performances in the nation of Caroline, or Change (St. Paul Conservatory for the Performing Arts), Legally Blonde (Minnetonka High School) and the musical version of A Christmas Carol (Eagan High School).

“TCF Bank is proud to share Hennepin Theatre Trust’s commitment to recognizing high school students through the SpotLight Musical Theatre Program,” says Tim Doyle, Minnesota Director of Branch Banking. “It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to not only enrich young people’s lives with a meaningful arts experience, but to also help the community enjoy outstanding performances.”

The Trust also announced today that Minnesota vocalist and actress Linda Eder will return as spokesperson for the 2011-12 school year. Eder, who went on to a successful Broadway and national performing career, is a compelling example of the impact that musical theatre programs can have on a person’s life. Eder will also star in “Home for the Holidays,” a concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2 at the Pantages Theatre. She will also be participating in other SpotLight related activities including a master class.

Schools and participating musical theatre students will be honored at SpotLight’s culminating event, the seventh annual SpotLight Showcase, held at 7 p.m., Monday, June 11, 2012 at the Orpheum Theatre. This gala evening celebrates and honors high school musical theatre accomplishments by featuring dynamic student performances mixed with award presentations. Last year’s event sold out and featured nearly 1,000 Minnesota students performing on the Orpheum stage.

Hennepin Theatre Trust, non-profit owner of the historic Orpheum, State, Pantages and the newly developed New Century Theatres, is devoted to enriching the vibrant cultural atmosphere of the Twin Cities. The Trust established the SpotLight Musical Theatre Program after recognizing that none existed in Minnesota to honor excellence in high school musical theatre. The Trust supports participating schools by providing high-quality learning, performing and creative experiences for students to develop and empower the next generation of innovative leaders.

SpotLight’s benefits include the opportunity to work with local and national theatre educators and musical theatre professionals who offer training, insight through critical feedback and on-site school workshops. A group of evaluators is retained by the Trust to assess each production with constructive written commentary and nominate honorees. Categories include outstanding performance in leading, supporting and featured roles, outstanding performance by a chorus, dance ensemble and student orchestra, outstanding overall performance of a musical and outstanding overall production of a musical. Shows are not compared or ranked against each other, so categories may have multiple honorees. Schools annually apply to participate and pay a nominal administration fee. SpotLight advocates for the importance of high school musical theatre education to support the statewide community of theatre artists, teachers and families who participate in this art form.

School Participants in the 2011-12 SpotLight Program
Andover High School: Annie Get Your Gun
Anoka High School: The Pirates of Penzance
Bemidji High School: White Christmas
Benilde-St. Margaret’s (St. Louis Park): How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Blaine High School: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
The Blake School (Minneapolis): Grease
Breck School (Minneapolis): My Fair Lady
Cambridge-Isanti High School: Grease
Centennial High School (Circle Pines): Little Shop of Horrors
Central High School (St. Paul): Bye Bye Birdie
Chanhassen High School: Curtains
Chaska High School: Once Upon a Mattress
Chisago Lakes High School: Hello, Dolly!
Columbia Heights High School: Guys and Dolls
Concordia Academy (Roseville): Peter Pan
Cretin-Derham Hall (Saint Paul): Sweet Charity
DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis): Into the Woods
Eagan High School: A Christmas Carol
East Ridge High School (Woodbury): The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Eastview High School (Apple Valley): Beauty and the Beast
Edina High School: Urinetown
FAIR Downtown School (Minneapolis): TBA
Forest Lake High School: Guys and Dolls
Fridley Senior High School: Footloose
Glencoe-Silver Lake High School: Seussical
Hill-Murray School (Maplewood): Bye Bye Birdie
Irondale High School (New Brighton): How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Jefferson Senior High School (Alexandria): TBA
Lakeville North High School: The Secret Garden
Lakeville South High School: Little Women
Main Street School of Performing Arts (Hopkins): The Producers
Maple Grove Senior High School: The Drowsy Chaperone
Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis): Honk!
Minnetonka High School: Legally Blonde
Monticello High School: Singin’ in the Rain
Moorhead High School: Children of Eden
Mound Westonka High School: The Drowsy Chaperone
New Life Academy (Woodbury): Beauty and the Beast
Norwood Young America High School: Little Shop of Horrors
Park High School (Cottage Grove): Blood Brothers
Richfield Senior High School: Little Shop of Horrors
Rogers High School: TBA
Roseville Area High School: Urinetown
Shakopee High School: Grease
Southwest High School (Minneapolis): Hairspray
South St. Paul Secondary School: Fiddler on the Roof
St. Francis High School: Curtains
St. Louis Park High School: Little Shop of Horrors
Saint Paul Conservatory for the Performing Arts: Caroline, or Change
Tartan Senior High School (Oakdale): Once on This Island
Thomas Jefferson High School (Bloomington): All Shook Up
Totino-Grace High School (Fridley): Anything Goes
Washburn High School (Minneapolis): Fame
Wayzata High School: Brigadoon
White Bear Lake Area High School: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Winona Senior High School: The Secret Garden

Educators who wish to participate in the 2012-13 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program should contact Melissa Koch, Director of Education and Community Engagement, at 612.455.9530 or through email at melissa.koch@hennepintheatretrust.org. The application deadline will be in October 2012. SpotLight is made possible by private donations and corporate contributions. If you wish to support this program, additional information about it and sponsorship opportunities is available at www.HennepinTheatreTrust.org/SpotLight.

HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST, non-profit owner of the historic Orpheum, State, Pantages and the newly developed New Century Theatres, is devoted to enriching the vibrant cultural atmosphere of the Twin Cities. The Trust’s activities include Broadway touring productions and the related Broadway Confidential series, concerts, comedy, speakers and other variety entertainment plus educational initiatives including the SpotLight Musical Theatre Program for high schools, Critical View student reviewer program, Teen Ushers, the Access Program and Kids’ Night. For more information, visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

This activity 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.