Students at the first rehearsal for ATP kids: Frozen jr
On Tuesday, September 3, 188 children ages five to twelve, signed in to audition for the ATP Kids production of Frozen, Jr., the school edition of the Disney Broadway hit. Each was assigned a number and was placed in his or her age group. The doors to the performance space were opened, and the excited youngsters began their audition process.
When all were seated, Education Director Luke Walrath explained the audition process—that the younger students would audition in groups so they wouldn’t have to sing alone. The older students would sing briefly from a number from the show. And he told them that the audition process was only to see where they would best fit into the production, because everyone who tried out would be in the show.
Walrath then began teaching the students a few lines from the best known musical number from the show, “Let it Go.” It was apparent that most were familiar with the tune and the words. He also taught them the “lines” each would say for the audition, including their names, the name of their schools, and sound invoking the magic in the show.
Over the next few hours, Walrath and Artistic Director Betsi Morrison listened to the children as they sang, talked, and did their best. The ATP Kids program is truly incluse, and all 188 children were cast in roles and will appear in four performances of “Frozen, Jr.” October 19 and 20th at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center. Tickets available online or at 862-SHOW.
This session of ATP Kids is sponsored by the Foley Family Charitable Foundation, Kalispell KiDDS, Glacier Bank, Whitefish Credit Union, Measure Law, John & Kris Vandenburgh, Joel Pemberton/Edward Jones Investments, Tim Murphy/State Farm Insurance, and Tim & Linda Babiak.