There’s good news for middle school teens who can’t get enough of the ten-dollar-Founding-Father. For the second year, The Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education at the University for Arkansas at Little Rock will offer a free musical theatre program inspired by the Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit “Hamilton.”

“MT Stage: The Hamilton Experience” will take place June 25-29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the University Theater in the Center for Performing Arts.

“Hamilton is still the hottest ticket on Broadway,” said Dr. Christine Deitz, associate director of the Jodie Mahoney Center for Gifted Education at UA Little Rock. “It has contemporary themes that children can identify with. It has all the elements of a great performance and a message of compassion and perseverance with an overarching emphasis on citizenship.”

The Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education has applied for and received, for the second year, an Academic Enrichment for the Gifted and Talented in the Summer (AEGIS) grant from the Arkansas Department of Education.

The program is open to students who are currently enrolled in Grades 7-9 during the 2017-18 school year. Thirty students from across Arkansas will be selected to participate. MT Stage is a non-residential program and does not supply housing for participants.

Participants will explore the historical, societal, and cultural themes behind “Hamilton” and will choose a focus area of musical theater: stagecraft or performance. In stagecraft, students will learn the technical aspects of a show from start to finish – including lighting, sound, and set construction. Students in the performance track will work with a musical director and choreographer. In the final showcase, students will perform selected scenes from “Hamilton” and have a talk-back session with audience members about their program experience.

The enrichment program is free to participants. Online applications are available and are due May 15. For more information, contact the Jodie Mahony Center at 501-569-3410 or visit the website.

In the photo above right, students perform scenes from “Hamilton” during the MT Stage: The Hamilton Experience in summer 2017.