Youth theater groups earn international recognition
Multiple Cape Coral and Southwest Florida-based performing arts troupe once again earned national recognition on a large stage.
Students representing Melody Lane Performing Arts Center, Gypsy Playhouse in Cape Coral, and Fort Myers Theatre received major awards and recognition at the 2026 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta. The weekend dedicated to rewarding and celebrating excellent student-driven musical theater programs happened Jan. 16-18 at the Cobb Convention Center in Atlanta.
JTF Atlanta saw 141 groups from 31 states, as well as Washington DC, Australia, England, France, Malta, New Zealand, Scotland, and Wales participate in the festival.
Melody Lane Performing Arts Center, which has been a mainstay at JTF in recent years, received the Excellence in Ensemble Award for its selections from “Disney’s Aladdin JR.”
This is the eighth time Melody Lane has represented at the festival.
“Every festival has unique programming such as the New Works Showcase in which we get to see brand new musicals presented, performance and technical workshops for students and teachers, interviews and performances by Broadway and Hollywood professionals, and so much more,” said Melody Lane Director Dana Alvarez. “But besides the content that is presented, we continue to go back because we see such growth in our students year after year They look forward to JTF as their favorite weekend. When our team can present their adjudication piece after working for months, the elation they feel while striking that final pose, hearing the applause and the judges’ feedback — it is so fulfilling.”
At JTF, groups have to select 15 minutes of performance material from a Broadway JR title to present for adjudication. The songs have to be performed in their entirety (no cutting of music) and can include character dialogue.
“Our focus is to tell a story, not the whole story, in that limited time frame,” Alvarez said. “We also choose material that will allow our team to work as an ensemble, as a cohesive group, with lots of moments for everyone to shine. ‘Aladdin’ is such a magical and fun tale that we were excited to get the chance to not just focus on technical dance moves but creating shapes and tableaus to set the scenes. Since no props, sets, or costumes are permitted, this means we needed to create the desert, Cave of Wonders, magic carpet, and more with just the students’ bodies. The young performers rose to the challenge and did such an amazing job creating this selection.”
Alvarez said 25 students ages 8 to 18 were chosen for the team in June 2025 and began rehearsing in early October to learn the music, characters, and choreography.
“They truly poured their whole hearts into it and had a blast,” she said. “Winning the Excellence in Ensemble Work award is a true testament to the work achieving the overall goal we had of creating a story that involved every single student as a storyteller. Between the multiple chances for singing solos and acting lines, the beautiful vocal harmonies they sang, and the various stage pictures created like the Genie coming out of the magic lamp, the market in Agrabah, and the landmarks Aladdin and Jasmine spot on the magic carpet ride; we completely agree that the team worked together beautifully as an ensemble. This award also reads as ‘Triple Threat’ status: that they weren’t just excellent at acting, singing, or dancing- but all three. Our students were very honored to receive Excellence in Ensemble.”
Melody Lane students were also recognized as individuals by the panel.
Two “All Stars” per group are chosen by adjudicators to participate in a special workshop, and those two students were Alexa Careccia and Sophia Robinson, both in 10th grade. Careccia played one of Aladdin’s best friends, Kassim, and had some show-stopping solos, said Alvarez. Robinson played the villainous Jafar and truly embodied the stealth and slyness of this icon. Three students received call-backs for the iTheatrics Special Project Auditions, meaning they may be invited to New York City this summer to film material for brand new musicals. Those students were Kennedy Fields, Stratton Reed, and Violet Salcido.
Jonathan Serrat earned an Award for Outstanding Individual Performance.
Serrat, a high school freshman who played Aladdin, received the high honor of “Outstanding Individual Performance” in the pod. Out of 144 groups and 7,000 people, only about 20 students earn this special award.
“This means that out of our pod/category of performers, he stood out as an exceptional individual,” Alvarez said. “We are so thrilled for Jonny to receive this recognition. His performance as Aladdin was captivating and heartfelt, and his singing is truly beautiful. Aladdin had a lot of ‘heavy-lifting’ to do as the title character in this show, and Jonny rose to the challenge, balancing strong vocals with fast-paced choreography and a wide range of acting on his character’s emotional journey. When his name was called at the awards ceremony, our whole team celebrated as if sharing a part of that honor with him. Everyone was so happy for him.”
The group earned major kudos from the adjudicators, who are high-level talent in the Broadway and show business realm.
“From the moment they stepped on the stage they worked together to create clear pictures that helped support the story,” said Brion Watson, who has performed in “Hamilton,” “Wicked,” and “MJ the Musical,” in a release. “It’s clear that this group knows hard work pays off in the long run. Their presentation showed us that strength lied in their ability to use their entire body to tell the story.”
Alvarez said At Melody Lane, their creative team always strives for excellence while also working hard to create a safe space for growth and learning.
“We want our students to understand why they are performing, what the story is, the lessons within the songs and scenes,” she said. “We are not interested in creating a perfect cast doling out precise movements if there is no connection, no twinkle in the eye. So earning major recognition at the festival really helps to reassure us that we are balancing skill with heart. We are thankful to receive special awards that reinforce our core values and perhaps draw others to our program. For us, JTF is not about awards but instead a celebration of hard work and talent; but it is very nice to receive recognition year after year.”
Alvarez, along with Amber Angeloro serve as Melody Lane’s directors, with Sami Doherty handling choreography, and Athena Belis serving as assistant director.
Gypsy Playhouse also received the Excellence in Ensemble Award, presenting “Disney’s Finding Nemo JR.”
“It is clear these kids have found a space that lets them celebrate what they love to do and who they are,” said Taylor Iman Jones, a Broadway actor, in a release. “And nothing is greater or makes better humans than that.”
Rob Rokicki, educator and Broadway composer/lyricist, stated, “This presentation of ‘Finding Nemo JR.’ was charming and delightful. The performers made fun characterizations and had lovely voices. They had expressive faces and great energy throughout the whole piece. You could tell that this group was having a blast and worked well as an ensemble, showing collaboration and what it means to be part of a team. They really worked well together the whole ocean world.”
Gypsy Playhouse’s Giana Randall and Cole Edwards were named Junior Theater Festival All-Stars. Cole Edwards, Giana Randall, and Vivienne Randall made it to the call-back to a yet-to-be announced special project promoting musical theater in schools.
Fort Myers Theatre received the Excellence in Acting Award, presenting “Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR.”
“Fort Myers Theatre nailed it with their commitment, character and vivacity,” said composer/lyricist Matthew Lee Robinson, in a release. “The training here is so strong and there are so many very young artists who are sure to contribute vast amounts to the arts and to their broader community.”
Fort Myers Theatre’s JJ Freiras and Alani Bryan were named Junior Theater Festival All-Stars. Rian Bauer and Asher Azzi made it to the call-back to a yet-to-be announced special project promoting musical theater in schools.