Local Orlando students representing Magic Curtain Productions earned recognition at the 2025 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta (JTF Atlanta). The monumental weekend dedicated to rewarding and celebrating excellent student-driven musical theater programs happened January 17-19, 2025 at the Cobb Convention Center in Atlanta.
Magic Curtain Productions received the Excellence in Ensemble Award. Magic Curtain Productions’ Emily Bankowitz and Madeline Abbott were named Junior Theater Festival All-Stars, a select group of outstanding performers.
At the festival, each group performed 15 minutes of a Broadway Junior® musical for adjudicators. Magic Curtain Production presented 13 the Musical JR. to Jacob Brent, Broadway Professor of Musical Theatre at Elon University (CATS) and Holly Stanfield, Theatre Educator.
“These students delivered powerful vocal performances throughout their presentation, indicating dedicated vocal coaching and technique training,” said Jacob Brent.
“From that first well balanced chord to the last shimmering moment, these young performers demonstrated mature vocal and ensemble work,” added Holly Stanfield. “Every voice was focused and understandable. This made the story very clear and drew us into the world of the musical without all of the trappings of the stage. Their storytelling was radiant!”
Magic Curtain Productions (MCP) is a premier community theater in East Orlando. MCP is civic-minded and active in the community; its students frequently perform for after-school programs, community events, and at local assisted living facilities.
The group has enjoyed success at past Junior Theater Festivals.
The group earned Freddie G Excellence in Dance awards (2023 and 2020 JTF Atlanta, 2021 JTF Texas); a Freddie G Excellence in Ensemble Work (2024 & 2019 JTF Atlanta); a Freddie G Excellence in Acting award (2018 JTF Atlanta), and a Freddie G Award for Excellence in Music (2016, 2015, and 2014 JTF Atlanta).
Its students have been recognized as well. Nathan Paul and Emily Bankowitz (2024 JTF Atlanta) were named Junior Theater Festival All-Stars, a select group of outstanding performers. Cole Higginbotham (2022 JTF Atlanta), Ethan Crespo (2021 JTF Texas) and Casey Gulledge (2014 JTF Atlanta) received a Freddie G Outstanding Performance by an Individual award. Meghan McQueeney (2014 JTF Atlanta) and Kelsey Brown (2013 JTF Atlanta) earned a Freddie G Award for Outstanding Student Direction and/or Choreography award. At the 2017 JTF Atlanta student Dario Antonio won a Freddie G Broadway Junior Slam Award.
Additionally, at the festivals many MCP students have made it to the call-back for future shoots for “how-to” choreography videos for soon-to-be-released musicals: Nathan Paul (2024 JTF Atlanta); Ainsley Newton and Tyler Williams (2023 JTF Atlanta), Sydney Lockwood (2017 JTF Atlanta); Hannah Restuccia (2016, 2015 and 2014 JTF Atlanta); Imani Moss and Demetri Inmon (2015 JTF Atlanta); Kelsey Brown and Alexis Buck (2014 JTF Atlanta), and Kelsey Brown and fellow student Andrea Diaz 2013).
In 2012, MCP director Rhonda Cato was one of eight exceptional educators from schools and performing arts centers around the country who were selected for the 3rd annual Freddie G Fellowship. The teachers received an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to collaborate with each other and work one-on-one with Broadway greats. The event is sponsored by MTI’s Freddie (“G”) Gershon and his wife Myrna Gershon and is a thank-you for all that teachers do to introduce the next generation to Broadway and musical theater.
Outside of the Junior Theater Festival, MCP has won the top Showcase Award at the National Performing Arts Festival at Disney in 2015 and 2016.
Called a “rousing celebration of theatre” by The New York Times, the Junior Theater Festival applauds and empowers young people and educators creating student-driven musical theater around the globe.
The 2025 JTF Atlanta was an incredible weekend of singing, dancing, acting, and learning. 136 groups from 30 states, as well as Washington DC, Canada, the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand participated in the festival.
Mainstage appearances included Sarah Jane Arnegger (AKA NYC), actor and teacher McKenna Michael Bisaha (HBO’s “Barry”), 2024 Jimmy Award–winner Damson Chola Jr., John Clay III (New York, New York), Frank DiLella (Host of NY1’s “On Stage”), Katy Geraghty (Into the Woods), actor Max Antonio Gonzalez (Cinderella), director Michael Herwitz (JOB), Cori Jaskier (Ratatouille the TikTok Musical), Taylor Iman Jones (Head Over Heels, Six), Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Mykal Kilgore (Songs for a New World), composer Daniel Mertzlufft (Ratatouille the TikTok Musical), Grant Reynolds (Mamma Mia), Jasmine Amy Rogers (BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical), composer Rob Rokicki (The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical), actor and composer Jacob Ryan Smith (Relapse: A New Musical), and composer Deborah Wicks La Puma (She Persisted).
This year’s educators of note included Bernie Baldassaro (Performer, The Book of Mormon), Michael J. Bobbitt (Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council), Paul Brewster McGinley (former Director of Teaching & Learning at Roundabout), Khalia Davis (Producing Artistic Director, The Coterie Theatre), Niani Feelings (Choreographer and Performer), Beau Harmon (Performer and Choreographer), Tom Jackson Greaves (Choreographer), Dr. Jennifer Katona (Executive Director, Educational Theatre Association), Bob Lenzi (Performer, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical), Kelly Lomonte (Performer), Kelby McIntyre Martinez (Associate Dean for Arts Education and Community Engagement, University of Utah College of Fine Arts), Nina Meehan (Founder/Artistic Director, Bay Area Children’s Theatre), Ernie Nolan (Artistic Director, Unicorn Theatre), Cindy Ripley (Senior Advisor, Education at iTheatrics), Shay Rodgers (Choreographer, iTheatrics), Lotte Wakeham (Artistic Director, Octagon Theatre Bolton), Court Watson (Theatrical Designer), and Cameron Williams (Artistic Coordinator, Alabama Shakespeare Festival). These educators served as adjudicators throughout the weekend.
Groups enjoyed a New Works Showcase of performance selections from upcoming Broadway Junior® musicals presented by JTF groups, and other mainstage performances featuring powerhouse Broadway guests and took part in workshops.
iTheatrics and the Junior Theater Group produce the Junior Theater Festivals. Based in New York City, for the last decade iTheatrics has established itself as the world’s leading authority on musical theater for young people. iTheatrics works with leading public and private companies around the world—including the Kennedy Center, NBC, and all the leading theatrical licensors—to make sure that young people everywhere have access to quality musical theater programs.
In addition to the Junior Theater Festival Atlanta, iTheatrics produces, hosts, and supports Junior Theater Festivals and one-day Junior Theater Celebrations in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.
Past festival attendees have included Ahrens & Flaherty, Skylar Astin, Joshua Bassett, Shoshana Bean, Sierra Boggess, Nicholas Christopher, Darren Criss, Zac Efron, Cynthia Erivo, Megan Hilty, Arielle Jacobs, Kenny Leon, Caissie Levy, Kara Lindsay, Ryan McCartan, Lindsay Mendez, Alan Menken, Pasek and Paul, Ben Platt, Olivia Rodrigo, Samsel & Anderson; Steven Schwartz, Ali Stroker, and Jeanine Tesori.
