New Britain Youth Theater Plans a 'Summer of Love'

New Britain Youth Theater plans to celebrate a "Summer of Love" with its performances in the summer of 2017. Shakespeare's romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, will open the summer season in June, and the heart-stirring musical The Lion King Jr (with its songs including Can You Feel the Love Tonight?) will take the stage in July.

The Teen Company of the central Connecticut youth theater will perform Shakespeare's teen tragedy on the grounds of the nationally-acclaimed New Britain Museum of American Art (NBMAA) at 56 Lexington Street in New Britain. Performance dates at the museum will be Thursday and Friday, June 22 and June 23, at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, June 25 at 2:00 p.m. An additional performance will be held on Saturday, June 24, at 7:00 p.m. at the historic Berlin Congregational Church at 878 Worthington Ridge in Berlin. A donation of $5 per person is suggested for admission. Audiences at the NBMAA performances may bring blankets or lawn chairs to sit on, and are welcome to bring refreshments of their own. Concessions will also be sold at the museum performances.

Shakespeare's most popularly read and performed tragedy tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, the age-old feud between their families, and the effect that their relationship has on friends and family alike. The NBYT production will be set in 1967 in recognition of the fiftieth anniversary of the "Summer of Love," and it will be inspired by the popular culture, counter-culture, and political and social turmoil of that time. Popular music that was recorded, released, or charted in 1967 will underscore the production.

The summer production of The Lion King Jr is still accepting children ages 5 to 14 for participation. Rehearsals for cast members ages 7 to 14 will be held over a four-week half-day program on Mondays through Fridays from July 3 through 28 (except July 4). Program hours are 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Although the full program is limited to ages 7 to 14, a limited number of children ages 5 and 6 will join the program during the final week to be part of the cast. All children who register will be cast in the show, and performances will be held on July 28, 29 and 30. Rehearsals and performances will be held at Holmes Elementary School in New Britain. Cost for the four-week program is $400, and the one-week program for ages 5 and 6 is $100.

Founded in 2010, New Britain Youth Theater is a professionally-run community and educational theater for children and teens in Connecticut. NBYT provides educational programming to schools in and around New Britain, produces a season of performances by and for children and young adults, and offers drama classes, individual coaching and lessons, and summer programs. The theater reaches children and their families in Greater New Britain, Greater Hartford, The Farmington Valley, and over fifty towns throughout Connecticut. NBYT programs include "Kids on Stage!" and "Little Kids on Stage!" productions, the NBYT Teen Company, Performance Skills classes, in-school and after-school arts-integrated and arts-enrichment programming, community outreach programs, and more. NBYT is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and young adults by encouraging creative thinking and collaborative teamwork, fostering self-confidence and self-esteem, and developing social and academic skills through involvement in high-quality, low-cost programs in the performing arts. NBYT operates its programs in schools and community spaces throughout Greater New Britain, and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

To post a comment, you must register and login.