Time flies when you're having fun - and there is no limit on the fun you can pack into a quarter-century of Broadway Junior® magic! It's hard to believe that next year, 2021, will mark 25 years of Broadway Junior. From its humble beginnings in 1996 to the hundreds of thousands of lives it impacts today, Broadway Junior continues to introduce musical theatre to young performers across the continents.

An integral component of Broadway Junior's reach and influence is undoubtedly the Junior Theater Festival (JTF). The very first JTF debuted in Atlanta, GA in 2003 with a total of 650 excited and enthusiastic attendees. In the 17 years that followed, both Broadway Junior and the flagship festival in Atlanta have experienced explosive growth. Recent Atlanta festivals have played host to over 6,500 attendees (an increase of over 900%, and at full capacity!), featuring groups from not only all across America, but around the globe.

In recent years, JTF has taken major steps to expand even further. As the fundamental festival in Atlanta continued (and continues) to burst at the seams with new Broadway Junior titles and talent, it became clear that a single venue for JTF would no longer suffice. In February 2017 it was decided that (to quote Sondheim's Broadway Junior show, Into the Woods JR.) "it takes two," and the first-ever JTF West took the stage in Sacramento, California. JTF West now boasts over 2,000 attendees each February.

With the success of two stateside JTFs off-and-running, it seemed only logical to take that magic and make it global. Luckily our teams at the MTI Australasia and MTI Europe offices were up to the challenge.

Our team at MTI Australasia hosted the inaugural celebration in Australia (known as Junior Theatre Celebrations) in 2016, adding New Zealand to the mix the following year. The love of musical theatre and Broadway Junior continues to thrive as Australia and New Zealand prepare their upcoming 2020 Celebrations this October.

A bit closer to home (but still across the pond) our MTI Europe teams are preparing to host the sold-out 2020 Festival in Birmingham, UK this May. Groups from across Europe will attend the Festival. 2019 marked the first Junior Theatre Festival in the UK, graduating to the status of 'Festival' after two very successful Junior Theatre Celebrations in 2017 and 2018 respectfully.

It is Broadway Junior's mission to make musical theater an accessible part of every child's life. And we are so excited to see how these global Festivals provide an essential opportunity for these budding artists to come together and share their passion.

With a total of five JTFs stretching from Atlanta to Australia, we can't help but wonder where Broadway Junior will land next!

Miracle Works Musical Studio came all the way from Seoul to perform #AladdinJR at @JTFestival! #JTF #WeAreBroadwayJunior @iTheatrics pic.twitter.com/PeXAgYF2UF

— Music Theatre Int. (@mtishows) February 8, 2020

 

 

 

 

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And we’re sending a #curtaincall to all the participants in #jtfeurope. Bravo to ALL OF YOU! Photo #regram from @middleclassmanhattan at @itheatrics and @juniortheaterfestival *** #jtf19 #jtf

A post shared by Music Theatre International (@mtishows) on May 14, 2019 at 11:49am PDT

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