TADA! Youth Theater Announces Original Musical Production Of HEROES

TADA! Youth Theater, a unique Drama Desk award-winning nonprofit youth theater that produces original musicals for children, teens, and family audiences, is performing Heroes live in the TADA! Theater on West 28th Street in Manhattan. The live performances of this new production will be recorded and then streamed online starting on August 15th. Tickets will be $10. Please visit tadatheater.com to purchase.

Throughout the year, despite the challenges of the pandemic, children have been participating in a wide range of virtual acting experiences. The 13 cast members are members of the free Resident Youth Ensemble of TADA! (RYET) and are currently rehearsing in-person and working diligently to get ready for opening night of Heroes that will be available online to friends, families, and the public beginning August 15th.

In Heroes, when the sun disappears due to bad behavior, seven young people must each embark on a magical quest to bring back the sun and learn along the way that everyone can be a hero through the simplest deeds.

TADA! Youth Theater's original production of Heroes has a book by Janine Nina Trevens with music and lyrics by Tammy Holder, based on the original play by Tom Keegan and Davidson Lloyd. The production is directed and choreographed by Gabriela Gross*** with music direction by Utsav Bhargava, set design by Steve O'Shea, costume design by Ceanna Bryant***, lighting design by Anthony Raddi***, production supervision by Cesar Renero, Production Stage Manager is Ashley Knowles, Assistant to the Director is Lauralie Mufute**, and Assistant Stage Managers are AJ Walker** and Naomi Jessica de Leon**. (**RYET members, ***RYET Alum)

Cast members from Brooklyn include: Ameerah Mair, age 12 as JJ; Julien Jobson-Larkin, age 10 as Dylan; Kiyo Garcia, age 15 as Woman of Great Magic, and Jon Luc Jobson-Larkin, age 14 as Cal Wood.

Cast members from Manhattan include Marlena Vega, age 16 as Terry; Nolan Shaffer, age 16 as Guardian of the Water, and AJ Walker, age 17, performs as Cliff Michaels.

Queens cast members include Katie Chan, age 13 as Georgia, and Oscar Segarra-Caussin, age 18 as Duke Lemmings.

Mateo Aponte, age 14 as Irving Ash, and Soleil Mar Perez, age 14 as Paula, are from the Bronx.

From New Jersey, Elisa Oh, age 12 from Freehold, NJ, performs as Kyla, and Lukas Mufute, age 11, performs as Jonathan. Lauralie Mufute, age 17 from Jersey City, NJ, is Assistant to the Director, and Naomi de Leon, age 17 from Bayonne, NJ, is Assistant Stage Manager.

In addition to TADA!'s original productions and the RYET which is a free pre-professional and positive youth development program, TADA! also offers musical theater classes/camps for the children ages 4-12; as well as musical theater residencies in NYC schools and community centers. Through high-quality work, young people's SEL skills grow, including self-confidence and creativity are enhanced.

TADA! Youth Theater's mission since 1984 has been to provide young people from different social, racial, economic, and cultural backgrounds with musical theater programs that inspire them to learn, be creative, and think differently through high-quality productions, positive youth development, and education programs. TADA!'s vision is that all young people grow up feeling successful, creative, confident, accepted, and accepting of themselves. Through the ability of people learning to express themselves well, we can break down barriers of racism and inequality and create positive, active citizens. For more information, please visit tadatheater.com

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