SRU students will be performing Junie B. Jones, The Musical, adapted from the book series by Barbara Park.
The show will be performed at the Stoner Black Box Theatre on Feb. 28, March 3 and March 4 at 7:30 p.m. There will also be matinees on March 1 and March 2 at 2 p.m.
The musical will be directed by Kari-Anne Innes, the Head of Theatre Arts Management at SRU.
The musical is based on a few of the Junie B. Jones books from the series and goes through Junie’s first grade year, from being nervous for the first day of school to her friend group changing and needing glasses.
“It’s a year of trials and tribulations, but I think college kids might relate to more than they think because these are all things we go through throughout life,” Innes said.
44 students are involved in the overall production, including 15 students in the cast and 11 understudies.
Innes is very passionate about theater for young audiences. She teaches a class called Studies in Audience Development, in which they are currently helping to market the show.
The class helped get schools involved and will be bringing them for matinée showings of the musical.
Innes goal was to have an interactive show with the audience and for children.
Prior to the show, audience members will have the opportunity to color pictures in the lobby that will then get used in a scene during the show.
“Letting them be apart of the production, developing them as audience members but also maybe future artists is really important,” Innes said.
Members of the cast talked about their experience and what this musical has been like for them. Care Caldwell, Alec Lamascola, Kadence Storms, Miriam Elise, Jack Cipriani, Jane Elyse and Isaac Perez all spoke with The Rocket.
They discussed their favorite parts of the musical.
“I think my favorite part of my role is Kickball Tournament Reprise we get to be cheerleaders and jump around in the audience and throw kickballs and its really cool, really interactive, really athletic, fun stuff you don’t get to do normally in musical theater,” Cipriani, who is playing Junie’s friend Camille, said.
Another cast member agreed.
“I’m going to second that with Kickball Tournament Reprise, I always wanted to be a cheerleader and especially as a little kid I feel like I’m embodying in me of doing bad cartwheels and pretending to be a cheerleader,” Elise, who is playing Junie’s friend Lucille, said.
The cast talked about the process of the show and what it was like for them.
“It’s been really fun to explore finding what makes sense to portray a first grader I guess, but it’s super comfortable because we’re all doing it and it’s a really fun collaborative environment which I really appreciate it,” Caldwell, the actress playing Junie B., said.
Backstage members weighed in as well.
“What I have really enjoyed is looking up the sound effects, I feel like there’s two different ways you could go with this. Audio wise is super realistic sound effects, like this the school bell or this is how the bus horn goes or kind of finding the cartoon middle of it all,” Perez, a sound designer, said.
“I’ve also really enjoyed being apart of the understudy cast because it’s not something that I’ve done before and I think that the process is just so different and getting to learn that side of things has been so helpful for me, and the environment of all the understudies just willing to help one another. I just think it has been great and I really enjoyed it and I really have enjoyed the people that I have met and the friendships I have made through this whole experience,” Storms, an understudy, said.
They then shared what it was like finding out they got the role.
“I was overjoyed, I have always wanted to play Junie B. Jones ever since I was little. I remember when I did community theater, I auditioned for this show all the time. So, I was very emotional and I still am and I am so honored and excited,” Caldwell said.
“I was thrilled, because the audition process was probably the most fun I’ve had in, like a really long time,” Elise said.
One cast member will even be performing with his roommates.
“I was really joyed, I think I was in my dorm when I got the email…” Lamascola, who is playing Sheldon Potts, said. “I was really excited because we were like oh my gosh we get to experience this art and do it together which is so fun and we always have a lot of fun.”
Individuals can purchase tickets at sru.edu/tickets. General admission is $15, and student tickets are $12.
The members of the show mentioned how they are grateful for the whole creative team.
