Musical Theater Camp for Kids: The Little Mermaid (Rising Grades 4-8)

For rising 4th-8th graders, Musical Theater Camp for Kids: Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. dives into a magical, splashy, and fin-tastical adventure that explores the timely themes of self-discovery, sacrifice, and the search for belonging. This 2-week exploration of the art of musical theater will promote confidence and instill the spirit of collaboration in aspiring young performers.

Directed by Debby Jenkins, an accomplished veteran musical theater educator with expertise in music direction, campers will build skills in musicality, vocal performance, acting, movement, and stage etiquette as they are led through the beginning-to-end process of putting on a musical: casting*, table reads/table work, learning music, blocking and staging, choreography, rehearsing songs and scenes, adding technical elements (costumes, props, wigs, lights, sound, set), and finally, performing in front of an audience.

Additionally, campers will participate in fun, hands-on musical theater-themed enrichment activities to practice and reinforce the skills they will be building throughout the 2-week rehearsal process.

Camp Showcase: The camp will culminate in 2 performances of The Little Mermaid Jr. at the John Waldron Arts Center, Friday, July 24; 11:00am & 3:00pm.

*Notes on casting:
- Auditions/vocal assessments and casting will take place on the first day camp after learning material from the show.
- Roles vary in type, size, and vocal & acting range. These factors will be considered during the casting process.
- Campers who are interested in taking on larger roles are encouraged to arrive at camp as familiar with the show and audition material as possible.
- It is unlikely that every camper will be cast in their first-choice role. Campers are encouraged to be flexible and have multiple roles that they are open to playing.
- Casting will not be gender-specific.
- We aim to set up every camper for success by meeting them where they are and casting them in roles they are ready for. Campers who are new to musical theater or who are still working on the fundamentals will likely be cast in a smaller ensemble role that offers the opportunity for growth.

What you'll need for camp:
- Filled water bottle
- Sack lunch
- Additional snacks, as needed 
- Closed-toe athletic or dance shoes with clean soles (no open sandals or flip-flops permitted)
- Comfortable clothes for dancing/moving

NOTE: A limited number of scholarships are available for Theater & Film programs. Students must be eligible for free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program to receive a scholarship. If you are interested, please click here for more information. Additionally, Constellation Stage & Screen programs are not eligible for Ivy Tech Employee Fee Remission.