Tickets for Ninth Annual SpotLight Showcase June 8 and 9 at the Orpheum Theatre On Sale Valentine's Day

MINNEAPOLISThe SpotLight Showcase, the ninth annual event celebrating Minnesotas best high school theatre talent as part of Hennepin Theatre Trusts SpotLight Musical Theatre Program, will be held for the first time on two nights on Sunday, June 8 and Monday, June 9, both at 7 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre. The professionally produced show highlights and honors the states finest musical theatre students and programs with dynamic performances from a record number of 67 participating schools. Tickets for both nights, available for only $15, go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org or call 1.800.982.2787.

Minnesota native, SpotLight alum, Broadway star and two-time Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes serves as this years SpotLight spokesperson to raise awareness for the program. SpotLight provides world-class educational, performing and creative experiences that help students develop essential skills for success such as collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and self-expression. Students work with local and national theatre educators as well as Broadway musical theatre professionals who offer training, feedback, on-site school workshops and master classes.

Throughout the year, skilled evaluators review SpotLight schools musical theatre productions and provide constructive feedback. Outstanding individuals and schools are later invited to perform at the SpotLight Showcase. Last years event sold out and featured more than 1,200 Minnesota students performing on the Orpheum Stage. This year, 67 schools, including 13 from greater Minnesota, are presenting musicals made possible by the collaboration of almost 5,400 students, which are seen by an estimated 130,000 audience members. A comprehensive list of participating schools is included at the end of this press release.

SpotLight, now in its ninth year, is sponsored by TCF Bank. The Trust established SpotLight because no such program of its kind existed in Minnesota to honor excellence in high school musical theatre.

TICKET INFORMATION

The SpotLight Showcase takes place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 8 and Monday, June 9 at the Orpheum Theatre (910 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis). Individual tickets, available for $15 each, go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. They can be purchased in person (no service fees) at the State Theatre Box Office (805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis), online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org, through Ticketmaster by calling 1.800.982.2787 or by visiting a Ticketmaster Outlet Center. Priority seating packages are also available online. For patron protection and standard prices, Hennepin Theatre Trust strongly recommends purchasing only from authorized ticket outlets. All prices include applicable facility restoration fees and additional charges may apply.

2013-2014 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program Participating Schools and Musicals:

Andover High School: The Music Man

Bemidji High School: Disneys Beauty and the Beast

Benilde-St. Margarets, St. Louis Park: The Wizard of Oz

Blaine High School: Little Women

The Blake School, Minneapolis: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Buffalo High School: The Phantom of the Opera

Cambridge-Isanti High School: Bye Bye Birdie!

Centennial High School, Circle Pines: Once Upon a Mattress

Central High School, St. Paul: Little Shop of Horrors

Chanhassen High School: Urinetown: The Musical

Chaska High School: The Wizard of Oz

Chisago Lakes High School: Seussical: The Musical

Columbia Heights High School: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Concordia Academy, Roseville: The Wiz

Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul: The Drowsy Chaperone and Oklahoma!

DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis: Grease

Eagan High School: All Shook Up

East Ridge High School, Woodbury: Elton John and Tim Rices Aida

Eastview High School, Apple Valley: Legally Blonde: The Musical

Edina High School: Fiddler on the Roof and Band Geeks

FAIR Downtown School: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Fridley Senior High School: Little Shop of Horrors

Forest Lake Area High School: A Year with Frog and Toad

Glencoe-Silver Lake High School: Footloose

Hibbing High School: Fiddler on the Roof

Hill-Murray School, Maplewood: Little Shop of Horrors

Irondale High School, Minneapolis: Shrek the Musical

Jefferson High School, Alexandria: Thoroughly Modern Millie

Kennedy High School, Bloomington: Elton John and Tim Rices Aida

La Crescent High School: The Sound of Music

Lakeville North High School: The Music Man

Lakeville South High School: Spring musical to be announced at a later date

Main Street School of Performing Arts, Hopkins: The Drowsy Chaperone

Maple Grove Senior High School: Guys and Dolls

Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis: Seussical: The Musical

Minnetonka High School: Young Frankenstein and Evita

Moorhead High School: Jesus Christ Superstar

Mounds Park Academy, St. Paul: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Mound Westonka High School: Copacabana

New Life Academy, Woodbury: Fiddler on the Roof

North High School, North St. Paul: Guys and Dolls

Park High School, Cottage Grove: Legally Blonde: The Musical

Richfield High School: Sweeney Todd

Roseville Area High School: The Wizard of Oz

Rogers High School: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

St. Francis High School: Shrek the Musical

Saint Johns Prep School, Saint Cloud: Grease

St. Louis Park High School: Once Upon a Mattress

St. Paul Academy and Summit School: The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Once on This Island

Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists: Fiddler on the Roof and Illyria

Shakopee High School: Anything Goes

Shattuck-St. Marys School, Fairbault: Little Shop of Horrors

Simley High School, Inver Grove Heights: Grease

South St. Paul Secondary School: Disneys Beauty and the Beast

Southwest High School, Minneapolis: Thoroughly Modern Millie

Spring Lake Park High School: Cabaret

Tartan Senior High School, Oakdale: Footloose and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Thomas Jefferson High School, Bloomington: Legally Blonde: The Musical

Totino-Grace High School, Fridley: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

VISTA Productions Theatre Department of Visitation School and Saint Thomas Academy, Mendota Heights: Gifts of the Magi and Shrek the Musical

Washburn High School, Minneapolis: Youre a Good Man Charlie Brown and Les Misérables

Watertown-Mayer High School: Seussical: The Musical

Wayzata High School: Kiss Me, Kate

White Bear Lake Area High School: Once Upon a Mattress

Winona Senior High School: Monty Pythons Spamalot

Woodbury High School: Guys and Dolls

Zimmerman High School: Disneys Beauty and the Beast

HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST, owner of the historic Orpheum, State, Pantages and New Century Theatres, is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to arts-inspired community cultural development. We achieve our mission by presenting a rich mix of live performances, creating inspiring arts education experiences and advancing a thriving Cultural District in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Trusts activities include presenting Broadway touring productions and the related Broadway Confidential series, concerts, comedy, speakers and other variety entertainment plus educational initiatives including our SpotLight Musical Theatre and Critical Review programs for high schools, Teen Ushers, the Access Program and Family Day events.

The SpotLight Musical Theatre Program is made possible with support from TCF Bank. The SpotLight Showcase 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 Nov. 4, 2008.