UK Academy for Creative Excellence junior
artists ‘Ace’ national competition in Atlanta

Youth studying musical theatre at University of Kentucky Opera Theatre’s Academy for Creative Excellence (ACE) recently took top honors at a national festival.

The program won one of seven Outstanding Production Awards presented at the Junior Theater Festival held Jan. 13-15, in Atlanta. In addition to a win in the production category, ACE student Patrick Garr received one of the festival’s seven Outstanding Male Performer awards.

Produced by iTheatrics and Theater of the Stars, the Junior Theater Festival is the biggest festival dedicated to young people and musical theater. As part of the 2012 festival, 2,075 students from across the nation came together to attend workshops led by Broadway and West End professionals, to meet talent from NBC’s new musical “Smash,” and to compete against their peers.

Each group at the Junior Theater Festival performs a selection from a Broadway Junior or KIDS Collection musical for professional adjudication by a panel of international theater professionals. ACE was one of 65 groups from 19 different states selected for adjudication at the festival. ACE took first in their division for a 15-minute performance from the musical “Seussical JR.” ACE was evaluated on the music, acting, dance and overall performance of the musical by judges.

ACE was one of only seven groups to receive the Outstanding Production award at the festival. As winners of their division, ACE went on to perform at the festival’s Freddie G. Awards Ceremony and was also were presented with a trophy.

Patrick Garr was selected as the “Outstanding Male Performer” for his performance of Horton in the musical “Seussical JR” for ACE’s division. For his win, he received a medal and was asked to perform at the awards ceremony. A student at SCAPA (School for Creative and Performing Arts) at Lafayette High School in Lexington, Garr has studied with both the ACE and Broadway Bound training programs for three years. He will appear next as Evan in the musical “13,” which will be presented at 1 p.m. Feb. 4, at Natasha’s in Lexington.

From UKNow