Virginia Children’s Theatre announces selection of shows for the upcoming2023-2024 season: A Season of Empowerment and Self-worth.
A SEASON OF EMPOWERMENT AND SELF-WORTH
Brett J. Roden, Producing Artistic Director for Virginia Children’s Theatre (VCT), announced tonight the Company’s upcoming 2023-2024 Season of productions. VCT is an award-winning, professional theatre designed specifically for youth, schools and the families of the commonwealth. The 2023-2024 Season will be the company’s 16th season and the productions celebrate empowerment and self-worth.
VCT’s 16th season begins with the Virginia Professional Premier of DISNEY’S DESCENDANTS: THE MUSICAL. Based on the Disney Channel Original movie, this musical explores the value of friendship and family as well as the importance of making your own choices about who you want to be. For the holiday season, VCT will enchant audiences with a beloved Disney fairytale and invite audiences to take charge of their destiny with DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID. Virginia Children’s Theatre will again tackle tough issues facing teens with an original production through the VCT4TEENS program. COMPLETELY, ABSOLUTELY NORMAL is a play that reminds audiences that being true to yourself never goes out of style. Providing youth actors an opportunity to learn, rehearse and stage a play in one week during Spring Break, the VCT KIDS ON STAGE production for this season will be LEGALLY BLONDE, JR. In the spring of 2024, VCT will mount THE WIZ celebrating black culture, afrofuturism, racial liberty, self-discovery, bonds of friendship, determination and individuality. This production will be performed on the mainstage and also tour all over the commonwealth of Virginia. Back by popular demand, VCT will showcase a summer concert featuring popular musical numbers from productions in VCT’s past called SONGS OF THE PAST: A VCT CONCERT REVIVAL.
“We are thrilled to be entering our 16th season of award-winning, professional theatre here in the region bringing family-friendly classics to patrons of all ages,” says Roden. “We bring you a season of empowerment and self-worth! I have selected a bold season packed to the brim with 4 Broadway-style, TONY award-winning musicals, a straight issue driven play and a live concert! As always, VCT’s season will feature a team of top-notch, professional artists, directors, designers, technicians and actors from all around the US, as well as local youth from the region! Come join us for our 2023-2024 season; we have a seat just for you!”Tickets to the Company’s 2023-2024 Season will go on sale in summer 2023. For more information, patrons may contact VCT at 540.400.7795. Information is also available online at VirginiaChildrensTheatre.org.
VIRGINIA CHILDREN’S THEATRE 2023 – 2024 SEASON LINE UP
DISNEY’S DESCENDANTS THE MUSICAL
Jefferson Center
October 6-7, 2023
Just like the popular Disney Channel Original Movie, Disney’s Descendants: The Musical is a brand-new musical jam-packed with comedy, adventure, Disney characters, and hit songs from the films! Imprisoned on the Isle of the Lost – home of the most infamous villains who ever lived – the teenaged children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella De Vil have never ventured off the island… until now. When the four troublemakers are sent to attend prep school alongside the children of beloved Disney heroes, they have a difficult choice to make: should they follow in their parents’ wicked footsteps or learn to be good? You’ll be “Rotten To The Core” with Descendants: The Musical!
DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID
Jefferson Center
December 1-3, 2023
Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic animated film, VCT brings the Tony nominated Broadway musical, Disney’s The Little Mermaid to the stage for the holiday season. In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. After falling in love with the human Prince Eric, Ariel makes a bargain with the evil sea witch, Ursula, in order to transform her mermaid tail into legs. The bargain comes with plenty of trickery and Ariel must enlist the help of her sea friends to convince the prince that she’s the girl with the perfect voice. Featuring popular songs like “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl” and “Part of Your World,” Disney’s The Little Mermaid is a beautiful love story for the ages.
COMPLETELY, ABSOLUTELY NORMALVCT4TEENS PRODUCTION
Fostek Hall at the Jefferson Center
February 3, 2024
This play tackles the ongoing challenges that a young person faces when “coming out” to their family, conforming to gender “norms,” gender identity and sexual orientation. Ten interconnected vignettes with LGBTQ+ themes are unified by the emotion and humanity found in anyone who is completely, absolutely normal. VCT4TEENS is a program that provides a unique and creative approach to connecting with young people about current issues through a theatre arts experience.
LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL, JR.A KIDS ON STAGE PRODUCTION
Wes Bradley Stage in Fishburn Theatre at North Cross School
March 29-30, 2024
Based on the Tony nominated Broadway musical and the smash hit motion picture, Legally Blonde: The Musical, Jr. is a fabulously fun journey of self-empowerment and expanding horizons. When Elle Woods’ boyfriend, Warner, dumps her and heads to Harvard, claiming she’s not “serious” enough, Elle takes matters into her own hands, crafting a showy song-and-dance personal essay and charming her way into law school. Befriending classmate, Emmett, and spunky hairdresser, Paulette, along the way, Elle finds that books and looks aren’t mutually exclusive – in fact, law may be her natural calling after all as she quickly begins outsmarting her peers.
THE WIZ
The Super Soul Motown Musical “Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
Jefferson Center
April 26-27, 2024
“Ease on down the road” with VCT in Spring 2024. This beloved seven-time Tony award winning Broadway musical is a soulful version of Dorothy’s adventures in the Land of Oz. Featuring music in a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel, and soul, The Wiz is an effervescent explosion of music, dance, magic, and delight that celebrates black culture. Dorothy, a restless Kansas farm girl eager to see the world, is transported by a tornado to a magical world of Munchkins, witches and a yellow brick road. On her way to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard of Oz, who she believes can help her get back home to Kansas, she encounters the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion — friends who help her battle the Wicked Witch of the West and eventually learn that there is “no place like home.”
SONGS OF THE PAST: A VCT CONCERT REVIVAL
Location TBD
July 2024
After a successful run in 2020, VCT revives the summer concert, Songs Of The Past. This concert will be a fully staged performance of musical numbers from past VCT favorite productions. Patrons may enjoy songs from VCT shows such as Junie B. Jones: The Musical, The Addams Family, Cinderella, The Secret Garden, Beauty and the Beast and more! Songs Of The Past: A VCT Concert REVIVAL will feature many favorite VCT professional and youth actors, accompanied by a live band performing favorite VCT musical selections.
ABOUT VIRGINIA CHILDREN’S THEATRE
Virginia Children’s Theatre (VCT) is an independently owned and operated 501(c)3 organization located in Roanoke, Virginia. VCT is the only professional theatre in the commonwealth of Virginia solely dedicated to youth, schools and their families. VCT produces a variety of high caliber professional literature based musicals, concerts, and issue driven plays each season. These productions are produced in the Roanoke Valley and toured throughout the commonwealth of Virginia. The VCT Theatre Academy provides year-round high-quality music, theatre and dance education for students Pre-K through 12th grade through in-school residencies, in-house classes & camps and outreach across the commonwealth. VCT has a mission to inspire, empower and transform the community through the magic of live theatre!
