Putting together our Senior Company’s 6th season we found ourselves looking for shows that not only pushed our young artists, but also that would allow them to create three very unique and very different productions.
We’ve put together what we think is a very thrilling season, that not only embodies our mission to ENGAGE, INSPIRE and EMPOWER but showcase the talents of our students and pushes each performer to the next level.
Under the leadership of some of the area’s hottest local musical theatre talent, OVATIONS’ upcoming season will push the envelope artistically and challenge our students and audiences, to delve into thought-provoking theatre. We hope you will join us this coming season, one we believe the DMV area will remember for quite some time!
-Darnell, Morgan & Theresa
DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR
JUNIOR COMPANY
Auditions November 2020 | Performances March 2021
Based on the original Broadway production that ran for over thirteen years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, and the Academy Award-winning motion picture, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR. is a fantastic adaptation of the story of transformation and tolerance. The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.
AMERICAN IDIOT
SENIOR COMPANY
Auditions November 2020 | Performances March 2021
The two-time Tony Award-winning hit musical Green Day’s American Idiot, based on the Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum album, boldly takes the American musical where it’s never gone before. Johnny, Tunny and Will struggle to find meaning in a post-9/11 world. When the three disgruntled men flee the constraints of their hometown for the thrills of city life, their paths are quickly estranged when Tunny enters the armed forces, Will is called back home to attend to familial responsibilities, and Johnny’s attention becomes divided by a seductive love interest and a hazardous new friendship. An energy-fueled rock opera, American Idiot, speaks to all those struggling to find their way through life.
SHREK JR
JUNIOR COMPANY
Auditions March 2021 | Performances May 2021
Once upon a time, in a far away swamp, there lived an ogre named Shrek. One day, Shrek finds his swamp invaded by banished fairytale misfits who have been cast off by Lord Farquaad, a tiny terror with big ambitions. When Shrek sets off with a wisecracking donkey to confront Farquaad, he’s handed a task — if he rescues feisty princess Fiona, his swamp will be righted. Shrek tries to win Fiona’s love and vanquish Lord Farquaad, but a fairytale wouldn’t be complete without a few twists and turns along the way. Part romance and part twisted fairy tale, Shrek JR. is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message for the whole family.
PARADE
SENIOR COMPANY
Auditions March 2021 | Performances June 2021
In 1913, Leo Frank, a Brooklyn-raised Jew living in Georgia, is put on trial for the murder of thirteen-year-old Mary Phagan, a factory worker under his employ. Already guilty in the eyes of everyone around him, a sensationalist publisher and a janitor’s false testimony seal Leo’s fate. His only defenders are a governor with a conscience and, eventually, his assimilated Southern wife who finds the strength and love to become his greatest champion. Daring, innovative and bold, Parade is filled with soaring music and a heart-wrenching story, offering a moral lesson about the dangers of prejudice and ignorance that should not be forgotten.
INTRODUCING OVATIONS JUNIOR & SENIOR COMPANIES
In putting together our 2017-2018 season, we reflected on our program and what would move us to the next level. We are thrilled to share with you our two new groups: OVATIONS SENIOR COMPANY (Grades 8-12) & OVATIONS JUNIOR COMPANY (Grades 3-9).
In creating these companies, we wanted to provide a clear overview of what we expect from our students and what our community can expect from OVATIONS programming. We believe these two programs embody our core objectives: ENGAGE, INSPIRE and EMPOWER.
At OVATIONS we always strive to create a professional yet enriching and supportive atmosphere. Our production teams are composed of DC and NYC professional theatre artists dedicated to bringing the next generation of artist to the next level. Through mentoring, exploration and encouraging self-discipline, we confidently feel that we prepare our students for performing and for life. To quote Mama Rose, “You’ll be swell, you’ll be great, gonna have the whole world on a plate..”
-Darnell Patrick Morris
Producing Artistic Director
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM OUR JUNIOR COMPANY
Before Moving Onto Our SENIOR COMPANY Students Are Able To:
- Create fully realized characters with the ability to answer such questions as: Who Am I? Where Am I Coming From? What do I want?
- Understanding character objectives and able to label whether in spoken dialogue or sung lyrics
- Act and emote songs
- Make songs and musical moments an extension of dialogue and scene
- Understand the basic process of script analysis
- Comfortable with the process of “marking up your script”
- Understands the principals of between the actually written text vs sub-text
- Comfortably acts using various and sometimes multiple emotions as characters dictate
What We Expect From Our Students:
- Students are expected to come to rehearsals familiar with scenes or musical numbers and are expected to be off book for the particular scene or number once they are staged
- Students come prepared to rehearsals with character descriptions
- To understand their character(s) objectives
- Students are expected to work outside of rehearsals on their staging, dialogue, and music whether on their own or with their voice and acting teachers
- Students come with a willingness to step outside their comfort zone
After Completing Our SENIOR COMPANY Students Are Able To:
- Create three-dimensional characters
- Understanding character objectives
- Act and emote songs: ability to “live in the moment” vs “showing the moment”
- Make songs and musical moments an extension of dialogue and scene
- Confident in the process of script analysis and able to “mark up their script” clearly labeling beats, objective, subtext
- Clearly understands the difference between text and sub-text
- Understands how to create and share complex emotions, objectives, and situations with their audiences
What We Expect From Our Students:
- Students are expected to be off book for every rehearsal
- Students come prepared to rehearsals with full character descriptions and clear understanding of their characters objectives
- Students are expected to work outside of rehearsals on their staging, dialogue, and music whether on their own or with their voice and acting teachers
- Students come with a willingness to step outside their comfort zone
WORKSHOPS, MASTERCLASSES AND MORE
Both the SENIOR and JUNIOR COMPANIES will take part in at least (2) Master Classes and Workshops tailored to each specific groups abilities and needs- always led by DC and NYC professional Theatre Artist.
Our 2019-2020 season will, once again, push the envelope artistically and challenge our students and audiences to immerse themselves in and delve into thought-provoking theatre. In a time where society is trying to silence art it is important to give our students not only a distraction from the tough circumstances around them but also empower them with a voice- a voice that is heard and celebrated.