Electric Youth Take the Stage at Showcase Live, 3/6

Performing in their 2011 debut, Electric Youth takes the stage at Showcase Live in Foxboro on Sunday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m. Following a sell-out show in 2010, the high-energy Electric Youth (EY) returns to Showcase Live, where they will be accompanied by an eight-piece band of world-class musicians.

Trained exclusively at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA), Electric Youth performs a fully choreographed show with an extensive repertoire of classic rock, pop, swing, country, and contemporary Broadway music. EY members are selected by audition at beginning of each academic year.

For the Electric Youth cast, the road to the Showcase Live performance is paved with dedication, enjoyment and hard work. This season's group of twelve performers, ages 14 to 17, currently studies multiple dance disciplines, voice, and acting at FSPA six days per week, and the majority of the performers have studied at FSPA for several years, honing their performing skills over that time period.

EY Member Callie Liljeberg of Wrentham, 18, took an FSPA musical theater class at the age of five and in her words, "fell in love." Callie continues to pursue her passion for musical theater and will portray the role of Amy March in Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC)'s production of Little Women, to be performed March 11 & 12 at the Franklin Country Club. An accomplished ballerina, she dances in FSPA productions regularly. Performing as part of Electric Youth enables her to perform in an exciting venue, perfect for EY's dynamic show.
"Showcase Live is a cool place to perform because the stage is big and there is room for a large audience," said Callie. "Last year the audience was wonderful; they were enthusiastic and energetic. It is always fun to perform when you can feed off the positive energy from the audience!"

Michael Egan, 17, of Hopkinton, started his performance training at the age of eleven with an acting class at FSPA. This led to voice and dance classes, and eventually a coveted spot in Electric Youth starting in the eighth grade. Michael also continues to perform in musical theater, most recently in the FPAC productions of The Wedding Singer and ‘Tis the Season! in 2010. Michael is eagerly anticipating EY's Showcase Live performance.

"To me, performing at Showcase Live is an amazing opportunity. It lets me prove to people that I not only do community theater, but also have the opportunity to perform at such as great venue as Showcase Live, " said Mike. "I hope this show is one that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and inspires other kids to see what performing is like because they might really enjoy it."
Also performing at Showcase Live are EY members Giovanna Ferri, Ali Funkhouser, Galen Hancock, Melissa Mandia, Avery McStay, Lucas Melfi, and Catherine Weiss of Franklin; Lindsey White of Mansfield; Erica McLaughlin of Medfield; and Jef Mettler of Westborough.

Electric Youth added to their impressive resume last summer with a European tour of Austria, Italy and Slovenia. Performing 15 shows in 23 days, EY headlined the Fourth of July entertainment for the American troops and families stationed at Aviano Air Force Base in Italy. Electric Youth will perform for the third time at Mechanics Hall in Worcester in May. They have been invited to sing the national anthem at Fenway Park this season after serving as featured entertainers at the Red Sox Foundation's Picnic in the Park in 2010.

For the March 6 performance, doors will open at 5:00 p.m. and a full dinner menu will be available at Showcase Live. Ticket information is as follows: floor seats are $25, loge seats are $15, and premium booths seating four people are $125. Tickets can be purchased at the main office of Franklin School for the Performing Arts, 38 Main Street, by phone at (508) 528-8668, in person at the Showcase Live Box Office or through Ticketmaster.com.

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