Tickets for Tenth Annual SpotLight Showcase, June 14 and 15

at the State Theatre, Go On Sale Friday, Feb. 20

MINNEAPOLISTickets for the Tenth Annual SpotLight Showcase, two special evenings in June that celebrate Minnesotas best high school theatre talent, go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015. The Showcase events are scheduled for Sunday, June 14 and Monday, June 15, both at 7 p.m., as the year-end culmination of Hennepin Theatre Trusts SpotLight Musical Theatre Program. Professionally produced, the shows highlight and honor the states finest musical theatre students and programs, and over two nights feature dynamic performances from a record number of 77 participating schools.

This year, the SpotLight Showcase events take place at the historic State Theatre (805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis), because the Orpheum Theatre, the previous location, will be temporarily closed to replace the balcony seats. Tickets for each performance are available for only $15. A limited number of Friend of SpotLight tickets, including priority seating and a donation to the SpotLight Program, are available for between $25 and $100. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org or call 1.800.982.2727.

SpotLight is the Trusts premier education initiative. It is the only program of its kind in Minnesota that supports and honors Minnesota high school musical theatre students and schools that produce musicals. Minnesota native, Broadway performer and former SpotLight participant, Laura Osnes is the 2014-2015 SpotLight spokesperson.

The year 2015 marks the Tenth Anniversary of SpotLight. Since it began in 2005, SpotLight has served more than 40,000 students and 100 schools, expanding from 18 schools during its first year. This year, 77 schools including 18 from greater Minnesota, are presenting musicals made possible by the collaboration of almost 6,000 students. These productions are seen annually by an estimated 175,000 audience members.

SpotLight provides valuable educational, performing and creative experiences that help students develop essential skills for success including collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and self-expression, in addition to honing their artistic talents. Students work with local and national theatre professionals who offer hands-on training, advice, on-site school workshops and master classes taught by touring Broadway cast members.

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. The SpotLight events regularly sell out. Each year, the Showcases feature more than 1,500 Minnesota students performing on stage. A comprehensive list of participating schools is below.

TICKET INFORMATION

The SpotLight Showcase events take place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 14 and Monday, June 15, 2015, at the State Theatre (805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN). Individual tickets, available for $15 each, go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 20 at the State Theatre Box Office, online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org, through Ticketmaster by calling 1.800.982.2787 or by visiting a Ticketmaster Outlet Center. A limited number of Friend of SpotLight tickets, which include priority seating and a donation to the SpotLight Program, are available for between $25 and $100. 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.

School Participants in the 2014-15 SpotLight Musical Theatre Program

Alexandria Area High School: Mary Poppins

Andover High School: A Year With Frog and Toad

Anoka High School: Seussical the Musical and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Apple Valley High School: Bye Bye Birdie

Bemidji High School: The Wizard of Oz

Benilde-St. Margarets (St. Louis Park): Urinetown: The Musical

Blaine High School: Once On This Island

The Blake School (Minneapolis): Anything Goes

Buffalo High School: Children of Eden

Cambridge-Isanti High School: Back to the 80s

Centennial High School (Circle Pines): Legally Blonde The Musical

Chanhassen High School: The Addams Family

Chaska High School: Footloose

Chisago Lakes High School (Lindstrom): White Christmas

Columbia Heights High School: The Addams Family

Concordia Academy (St. Paul): Bye Bye Birdie

Coon Rapids High School: The Drowsy Chaperone

Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul): Hairspray

DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis): Babes in Arms

Eagan High School: Godspell

East Ridge High School (Woodbury): Into the Woods

Eastview High School (Apple Valley): Oklahoma

Edina High School: Little Shop of Horrors

The FAIR School (Minneapolis): Hairspray, Jr.

Farmington High School: Urinetown: The Musical

Forest Lake Area High School: Anything Goes

Fridley High School: Elton John and Tim Rices Aida

Glencoe-Silver Lake High School: Shrek the Musical

Henry Sibley High School (Mendota Heights): Guys and Dolls

Hibbing High School: Bye Bye Birdie

Hill-Murray School (Maplewood): High School Musical

Hinckley-Finlayson: Anne of Green Gables

International School of Minnesota (Eden Prairie): Shrek the Musical

Irondale High School (New Brighton): Anything Goes

Kennedy High School (Bloomington): Shrek the Musical

Lakeville North High School: Rodgers + Hammersteins Cinderella

Lakeville South High School: Oliver!

Main Street School of Performing Arts (Hopkins): The Wedding Singer

Mankato East High School: In the Heights

Maple Grove Senior High: Rodgers + Hammersteins Cinderella

Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis): The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Minnetonka High School: Urinetown: The Musical and Brigadoon

Moorhead High School: Chicago

Mound Westonka: Band Geeks

Mounds Park Academy (St. Paul): The Wizard of Oz

New Life Academy (Woodbury): Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

North High School (North St. Paul) Grease

Park High School (Cottage Grove): Rodgers + Hammersteins Cinderella

Pierz Healy High School (Pierz): High School Musical

Princeton High School: The Music Man

Richfield High School: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Rogers High School: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Rosemount High School: A Christmas Carol

Sauk Rapids-Rice High School: Oklahoma and Pirates of Penzance Jr.

Shakopee High School: The Drowsy Chaperone

Shattuck St. Marys School (Faribault): Rodgers + Hammersteins Cinderella

Simley High School (Inver Grove Heights): Hairspray

South High School (Minneapolis): The Wiz

South St. Paul Secondary School: Disneys Aladdin

Southwest High School (Minneapolis): Ragtime

Spring Lake Park High School: Shrek the Musical

Saint Johns Prep School (Collegeville): Oliver!

Saint Paul Academy and Summit School: Urinetown: The Musical

St. Francis High School: Footloose

St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists: Anything Goes, Once on this Island and Fugitive Songs

Tartan Senior High School (Oakdale): The Wizard of Oz and 9 to 5

Thomas Jefferson High School (Bloomington): Seussical the Musical

Totino-Grace High School (Fridley): Shrek the Musical

Triton High School (Dodge Center): Fiddler on the Roof

Visitation School and Saint Thomas Academy, VISTA Productions: The Drowsy Chaperone

Washburn High School (Minneapolis): Dracula: A Pain In The Neck and In the Heights

Watertown-Mayer High School: Pippin

Wayzata High School (Plymouth): Spamalot

White Bear Lake Area High School: The Addams Family

Winona Senior High School: Shrek the Musical

Woodbury High School: Curtains

Zimmerman High School: The Music Man

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 a downtown Minneapolis Cultural District. 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 on Hennepin events.

The SpotLight Showcase events are 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 November 4, 2008.