THE NAPLES PLAYERS KIDZACT PRESENTS MADAGASCAR A MUSICAL ADVENTURE JR. JULY 5 - 7, 2019

NAPLES, FL (JUNE 6, 2019) - The Naples Players (TNP) KidzAct, Southwest Florida's premier youth theatre program, presents Madagascar A Musical Adventure JR., which runs July 5 -7, 2019 in The Tobye Studio Theatre at The Naples Players Sugden Theatre.

KidzAct produces six fully-realized, designed, and supported productions throughout the year. The KidzAct Performance Classes focus on the elements of what it takes to create a show from concept to close. The rehearsals are detailed with blocking, scene work, acting technique, character development, vocal training, and dance choreography. "The Performance Classes focus on continuing the foundation that KidzAct creates and builds preparing the students for a professional experience in the musical theatre world," shares Kenzie Currie, TNP Education Stage Manager. The TNP KidzAct Performance Classes are a building block to the Teen Productions "and we treat them like professionals -- we expect a lot of them -- and they always exceed our expectations," continues Currie.

This specialized theatre training provided at TNP empowers children to explore their imaginations and creative journey through carefully curated performance class in: choreography, music, and acting rehearsals. "We're teaching the kids to not only play the characters (or animals in this case) in the musical, but also to develop their very own backstory to their character in a Script Character Study Circle. They have to explore their own language and movement, and discover their personalities and layered backstories to each and every scene and how they relate with each character. It's a full creative process every day in this unique children's theatre summer study," shares Craig Price, Director of Education for The Naples Players.

Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto The Naples Players stage in the musical adventure based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar. Madagascar A Musical Adventure JR. follows all of your favorite crack-a-lackin' friends as they escape from their home in New York's Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien's Madagascar. Directed by Erica Sample, the cast includes Leonard Allen plays Alex, Maximus Bogert is Private, Tucker Claremont is Marty, Alexia Cugini is Rico, Daniella Cugini is Mort, Mariana Greenwood is Gloria, CJ Suarez is King Julien, Zuriel Ortiz is Melman and Chase Rossman plays Skipper. The ensemble includes: Anna Karina Hintz, Elizaveta Anachenko, Ashley Hyland, Isabella Antunes, JJ Mazany, Sophia Campbell, Gracie Mizwa, Zoe Ciabaton, Hadley Murphy, Sierra Ortiz, Jordan Crawford, Angelina Price, Misda Dantes, Sarah Sherwood, Caroline Duggan, Michaela Fallon, Aiden Thayer, Amaya Green, Isabella Toro, Malena Tucker, Sophia Hajjar and Brianna Wallace.

PHOTO CAPTION: The Naples Players KidzAct rehearse the musical number "It's Showtime" in Madagascar A Musical Adventure JR., which runs July 5 - 7,201 in The Tobye Studio Theatre. Tickets are $20 and $10 for children/educators at (239) 263-7990 or NaplesPlayers.org. Photo courtesy of The Naples Players.

Madagascar A Musical Adventure JR. runs July 5 - 7, 2019 in The Tobye Studio Theatre at The Naples Players Sugden Theatre at 701 5th Avenue South in Naples. Performances are July 5 at 6:30 p.m., July 6 at 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and July 7 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students and educators, and are available for purchase online: NaplesPlayers.org or by contacting The Box Office at (239) 263-7990.

PHOTO CAPTION: KidzAct students rehearse the opening sequence in Madagascar A Musical Adventure JR. at The Naples Players.
Photo courtesy of The Naples Players.

The Naples Players (TNP) Sugden Community Theatre is Naples' oldest and premier theatre group and a vital part of the exciting experience of Downtown Naples. Celebrating its 66th season, and as one of the top theatres in the country, they offer a variety of plays and musicals in three intimate spaces, Blackburn Hall, the Tobye Studio Theatre and outside Baker Stage - all located in one building on Fifth Avenue South. The KidzAct program, Southwest Florida's premier youth theatre program offers a performing arts education wing, with top quality productions as well as in-depth skills classes for children.

The Naples Players continually seeks to enrich, educate, and entertain the community through a superior theatre experience. Serving over 800 children a year, TNP's KidzAct program offers classes for children of all abilities ages 4 -18 years old in singing, dancing, acting, and improv with scholarships available for students in need. TNP's KidzAct program kicks-off the 66th theatre season with the summer KidzAct productions: Madagascar A Musical Adventure JR. performs July 5 at 6:30 p.m., July 6 at 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and July 7 at 6:30 p.m.; Mamma Mia! TEEN performs August 2 at 7:30 p.m., August 3 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and August 4 at 2:00 p.m.; Once On This Island, Jr. runs August 9 at 6:30 p.m., August 10 at 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and August 11 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and $10 for children and educators and available at (239) 263-7990 or NaplesPlayers.org. TNP is still registering for the KidzAct Summer Classes running through August. Scholarships are available. All KidzAct class information and registration can be accessed at: https://naplesplayers.org/kidzact/ or by contacting the Director of Education, Craig Price, at (239) 434-7340 ext. 103.