news release

Students representing Gifford Youth Achievement Center / RT and Riverside Theatre received awards & recognition at the 2025 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta (JTF Atlanta). The monumental weekend dedicated to rewarding and celebrating excellent student-driven musical theater programs happened January 17-19, 2025, at the Cobb Convention Center in Atlanta. At the festival, each group performed 15 minutes of a Broadway Junior® musical for adjudicators.

Gifford Youth Achievement Center / RT

• Gifford Youth Achievement Center / RT received the Excellence in Ensemble Award.
• Gifford Youth Achievement Center / RT’s Aaliyah Allen and Riley Blackwell were named Junior Theater Festival All-Stars, a select group of outstanding performers.
• Gifford Youth Achievement Center / RT presented Once on This Island JR. to Deborah Wicks La Puma, Composer of Elephant and Piggie’s We Are In A Play; Khalia Davis, Producing Artistic Director of The Coterie Theatre in Kansas City, MO; and Tom Jackson Greaves, UK Director and Choreographer of Head Over Heels and Whistle Down The Wind.
• GYAC’s mission is to create, with God’s guidance, educational, cultural and social opportunities that enhance the lives of the youth and families we serve.
• Founded in 1998, with the sole purpose of increasing the graduation rate of African Americans in the Gifford Community, GYAC has flexed and flourished, expanding based upon the needs of the community. What began as a community center with two full-time staff has transformed into a bustling campus complete with classrooms, two computer labs, an outdoor patio and a full-size gymnasium.

With academics in focus, GYAC has played a crucial role in increasing the graduation rate of Indian River County’s African American population from 23% at its inception to over 90% present day. GYAC’s values: Respect, Hope, Perseverance, Hard work, Inclusivity, and Collaboration act as a guiding light throughout the organization. By holding students, parents and employees accountable, we have made tremendous strides towards ensuring the County’s underserved populations have the tools they need to succeed.

2024 was their first year at JTF Atlanta, where Gifford Youth Achievement Center received a Freddie G Excellence in Ensemble Work award and a Freddie G Inspiration Award. Students Joshua Irby and Serenity Morgan were named Junior Theater Festival All-Stars, a select group of outstanding performers.

Riverside Theatre

• Riverside Theatre received the Excellence in Music Award.
• Riverside Theatre’s Timmy Cisco and Zachary Walsh were named Junior Theater Festival All-Stars, a select group of outstanding performers.
  • Riverside Theatre presented Guys and Dolls JR. to Kelby McIntyre-Martinez, Associate Dean for Arts Education & Community Engagement, University of Utah;and Bob Lenzi, Broadway actor (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Tuck Everlasting).
  • Said Kelby McIntyre-Martinez, “Wonderful ensemble work, great storytelling! Riverside Theatre is clearly a place where students come together and support each other!”
  • Added Bob Lenzi, “Really strong solo singers! The principal actors made strong acting choices as well. I loved that this show got to feature so many individual talents. This program has a deep well of talent with very strong acting chops and impressive vocals.”
• Riverside Theatre is a nonprofit organization offering classes, camps, and training opportunities for youth in the areas of theatre, dance, music, and video. Based in Vero Beach, FL, the Riverside Theatre Education Program is committed to promoting educational opportunities to students of all ages by:
  • Producing Quality work for young people and families
  • Providing the community with a broad range of educational opportunities that will cultivate tomorrow’s artists and audiences while building the skills for today
  • Creating a nurturing and collaborative environment for all educators, students, parents, and staff
  • Connecting students to the professional artists, productions, and opportunities at Riverside Theatre
  • Transforming lives through the study, exploration, and creation of theatre

The group has enjoyed great success at past Junior Theater Festivals.

In 2024 they were recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Acting for James and the Giant Peach JR, with Zach Walsh and Savannah Brown named JTF All Stars. In 2023 they were recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble Work for Children of Eden JR, and we had Savannah Brown and Katie Hufstetler selected for JTF All Stars. In 2022 we had Danielle Rustay and Katie Hufstetler selected for JTF All Stars from Beauty and the Beast JR. In 2020, the groups was recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for Thoroughly Modern Millie JR.At the 2019 Junior Theater Festival, students Emily Olsson, Cristina Pines, and Xaria Arielle Reason received a Freddie G Award for Outstanding Student Direction and Choreography. At the 2017 Junior Theater Festival student Isabel Morby made it to the call-back for future Broadway Junior shoots for “how-to” choreography videos for soon-to-be released musicals.

At the 2016 Junior Theater Festival students from Riverside Children’s Theatre won a Freddie G Excellence in Music award. Additionally, students Isabel Morby, Chloe Larabie and Christina Pines made it to the call-back for choreography videos. In 2015 students from Riverside Children’s Theatre won a Freddie G Award for Excellence in Music and RCT student Kristi Beckett was selected to perform in “Do You Want To Build a Snowman?” with Oscar-winning composers Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez of Frozen in front of all 4,500 festival attendees. Additionally, student Zane Morrow made it to the final call-back for future “how-to” choreography videos. In 2014 the group won a Freddie G Award for Excellence in Music, and students Alison Leavitt, Chloe Larabie, Eliany Vasquez, Isabel Morby, Kristi Beckett, Zane Morrow, Taylor Beckmann, Skyler Granito, and Jacqs Carroll made it to the final call-back for future choreography video shoots. In 2013 Junior Theater Festival RCT students Kristi Beckett and Sean David Castro made it to the final call-back for future choreography video shoots.

In 2012 the group won a Freddie G Outstanding Achievement in Dance, and a Freddie G Outstanding Achievement in Music. Additionally, individual students were singled out for recognition: Kristi Beckett and Chloe Larabie were selected to travel to NYC that summer to work with iTheatrics on the workshop of James and the Giant Peach JR., and Megan Taylor Callahan made it to the final call-back for future choreography video shoots. Furthermore, that year, teacher Kevin Quillinan was one of eight exceptional educators selected for the third annual “Broadway Welcomes America’s Teachers at the Freddie G Theatre Experience.” The teachers received an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to collaborate with each other and work one-on-one with Broadway greats. The event is sponsored by MTI’s Freddie (“G”) Gershon and his wife Myrna Gershon and is a thank-you for all that teachers do to introduce the next generation to Broadway and musical theater.

In 2011 RCT students won a Freddie G Outstanding Achievement in Music award, and student Megan Taylor Callahan was selected to travel to New York City that summer to tape instructional choreography DVDs for Music Theatre International titles. In 2010 they won Outstanding Achievement in Music. In 2009, our first year, the group were recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Dance, with Timothy Chastain named Outstanding Individual Male.

About The 2025 JTF Atlanta

Called a “rousing celebration of theatre” by The New York Times, the Junior Theater Festival applauds and empowers young people and educators creating student-driven musical theater around the globe. 

The 2025 JTF Atlanta was an incredible weekend of singing, dancing, acting, and learning. 136 groups from 30 states, as well as Washington DC, Canada, the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand participated in the festival.

Mainstage appearances included Sarah Jane Arnegger (AKA NYC), actor and teacher McKenna Michael Bisaha (HBO’s “Barry”), 2024 Jimmy Award–winner Damson Chola Jr., John Clay III (New York, New York), Frank DiLella (Host of NY1’s “On Stage”), Katy Geraghty (Into the Woods), actor Max Antonio Gonzalez (Cinderella),director Michael Herwitz (JOB), Cori Jaskier (Ratatouille the TikTok Musical), Taylor Iman Jones (Head Over Heels, Six),Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Mykal Kilgore (Songs for a New World), composer Daniel Mertzlufft (Ratatouille the TikTok Musical), Grant Reynolds (Mamma Mia), Jasmine Amy Rogers (BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical), composer Rob Rokicki (The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical), actor and composer Jacob Ryan Smith (Relapse: A New Musical), and composer Deborah Wicks La Puma (She Persisted).

This year’s educators of note included  Bernie Baldassaro (Performer, The Book of Mormon), Michael J. Bobbitt (Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council), Paul Brewster McGinley (former Director of Teaching & Learning at Roundabout), Khalia Davis (Producing Artistic Director, The Coterie Theatre), Niani Feelings (Choreographer and Performer), Beau Harmon (Performer and Choreographer), Tom Jackson Greaves (Choreographer), Dr. Jennifer Katona (Executive Director, Educational Theatre Association), Bob Lenzi (Performer, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical), Kelly Lomonte (Performer), Kelby McIntyre Martinez (Associate Dean for Arts Education and Community Engagement, University of Utah College of Fine Arts), Nina Meehan (Founder/Artistic Director, Bay Area Children’s Theatre), Ernie Nolan (Artistic Director, Unicorn Theatre), Cindy Ripley (Senior Advisor, Education at iTheatrics), Shay Rodgers (Choreographer, iTheatrics), Lotte Wakeham (Artistic Director, Octagon Theatre Bolton), Court Watson (Theatrical Designer), and Cameron Williams (Artistic Coordinator, Alabama Shakespeare Festival). These educators served as adjudicators throughout the weekend.

Groups enjoyed a New Works Showcase of performance selections from upcoming Broadway Junior® musicals presented by JTF groups, and other mainstage performances featuring powerhouse Broadway guests and took part in workshops.

About iTheatrics and the Junior Theater Festivals

iTheatrics and the Junior Theater Group produce the Junior Theater Festivals. Based in New York City, for the last decade iTheatrics has established itself as the world’s leading authority on musical theater for young people. iTheatrics works with leading public and private companies around the world—including the Kennedy Center, NBC, and all the leading theatrical licensors—to make sure that young people everywhere have access to quality musical theater programs.