Performing Arts Council Replays A Couple Favorites

August is set to sing, dance and act once again as the Muskego Performing Arts Council plays a hand in bringing two favorite acts to the city stage.

Muskego's Teen Idol is back for a sixth season, and will hold its first round of auditions at Bethel Lutheran Church as part of Jammin' on Janesville festivities. As in previous years, the event is overseen by the Muskego Teen Advisory Board, but MPAC was asked this year to assist in the production, something member Steven Krause said was a perfect fit.

"Really, we are an organization of presentation and performance so this and although we've never done something like this before, I'd like to think it's a happy union," Krause, who is also a technical director at the Muskego Performing Arts Center, said.

Contestants will start singing at 6 p.m. for a shot at the semi finals at the Muskego Community Festival on August 23.

Just a couple of weeks later, the Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT) comes into town again for its sixth year in auditioning, organizing and presenting a children's production in just one week's time. This year's production of "Cinderella" will have auditions on August 13 at Muskego High School from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Krause called Missoula's program "the world's largest, and in my opinion one of the best children's theatre companies. It was huge to get them the first year they came (to Muskego), and once you're in their rotation they keep coming back. It's just a great complement to our wonderful theatre arts program, as it invites 1st to 8th graders to experience theatre."

The cast is selected shortly after auditions, and rehearsals begin a mere half-hour later (12:30 p.m.), and by Saturday, August 18, performances begin.

MCT has been touring extensively for 40 years now from Montana to Japan, and will visit nearly 1,200 communities this year with 47 teams of tour actor-directors. A tour team arrives in a given town with a set, lights, costumes, props and make-up, everything it takes to put on a play...except the cast. The team holds an open audition and casts 50-60 local students to perform in the production.

Kids who wish to participate will be required to pay a fee of $30 ($60 family maximum), and will also take part in three enrichment workshops that teach creativity, social skills, goal achievement, communication skills and self-esteem. For more information and to view the complete schedule, visit MPAC's website.