Everything Beetlejuice Jr and JTF!

Everything you need to know about Beetlejuice Jr and JTF!

We are so excited to be producing Beetlejuice Jr. as our Pre-Professional/Junior Theatre Festival show for the 2025-26 season! This year’s program will be directed by Jacki Dixon, music directed by Ashton Williams, and choreographed by Matthan Potts. 

The MCCA JTF Program is extra special because the experience goes well beyond just putting up a Broadway Junior musical. Students will enjoy performing Beetlejuice Jr. at the end of June, but they will also participate in a 10-month program full of team-building, training, and magical experiences! The program concludes with attending the Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta, GA, in January 2026 and performing a 15-minute selection from Beetlejuice Jr. for a panel of educators and Broadway professionals.

The JTF Program is an accelerated training program that helps prepare students for the professional world. The program is exciting, high-energy, and requires serious commitment from both students and parents. The 10-Month Program consists of:

• Auditions: March 14th, 4:30-8:00 pm. If needed, callbacks will be held at 9:00 am on March 15th.

  • To be eligible to participate, students must be in 5th-12th grade for the 2025-26 school year. All students auditioning should be prepared to participate in the entire program, including attending JTF with a parent or guardian over the age of 21.

  • Students do not need to prepare a song for the audition. In this Ensemble-style audition, we will teach music and choreography to the full group and take turns performing solo parts and cold readings from the script.

• Summer Workshop: June 11th-26th, Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-3:00 pm

  • Rehearsals & Preparation for the Beetlejuice Jr. musical

  • Performances June 27th-29th at Mountain Ridge High School

• Fall Session 1 Training Class: 1.5 hr per week (day/time TBD)

  • The Beetlejuice Jr. cast will come back together in the fall to begin technique work and training for the Junior Theatre Festival. 

  • Training includes: Ensemble Building, Vocal Work (Harmony, Timing, Diction & Dynamics), Character Creation & Commitment, Physicality & Body Work.

• Fall Session 2 JTF Prep Class: 3 hrs per week (days/times TBD)

  • Class focus is on choreography and scene work, and building our 15-minute Beetlejuice Jr. selection for the festival.

• Winter Bootcamps & Rehearsals: (select days from Dec. 20th-Jan 10th)

  • Final rehearsals and JTF preparation

• Junior Theatre Festival (January 16-19, 2026)

  • Cast members and their families will spend a wild and wonderful weekend at the Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta! Along with performing our Beetlejuice Jr. selection, participants will enjoy music, dance & acting workshops, panel discussions, and performances with Broadway actors and professionals, and will spend the weekend immersed in the magical world of Musical Theatre.

To learn more about the JTF program and what you can expect from the festival experience, check out our Inside JTF blog post here: https://www.mymcca.com/post/what-is-jtf

*Check out MCCA’s cast of The Little Mermaid Jr. and their adjudicated performance at the 2024 Junior Theatre Festival here: https://youtu.be/nT_OL-u0dRg?si=Kf5PF7vBLYwmIzhP

Little Mermaid Jr. cast at JTF 2024

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE JTF PROGRAM? FOLLOW THESE NEXT STEPS!

1. Fill out the interest form here: https://www.mymcca.com/beetlejuicejr 

   All interested students will receive detailed information via email before the end of January. The information packet includes all required dates and important scheduling information for the full year, an estimate of costs, and a full manual of program requirements and goals. 

2. Attend the JTF Information Meeting on Saturday, March 1st, at 9:00 a.m. at MCCA. This is a perfect opportunity to get all the details and to ask any questions before auditions. Coffee and donuts will be provided. Please email jacki@mymcca.com to RSVP!

3. Read the Script!

   The full Actor’s script for Beetlejuice Jr. can be found on the MTI website here: https://www.mtishows.com/beetlejuice-jr

All students who are looking to level up their Musical Theatre skills are encouraged to audition for the JTF Program. The experience of JTF is truly uplifting and joyous! Our goal is to create a positive and safe environment where students are free to take risks, be bold, be their true selves, and embrace the uniqueness of those around them. We strive to create a dynamic that celebrates the unique individual as well as the commonality of the love of performing. Bonding with cast mates and teachers throughout the preparation process and getting to experience the magic of the Junior Theatre Festival as a team is an indescribable experience!

We hope to see you in March, and we can’t wait to venture into the Netherworld!