There’s good news for musical theater enthusiasts who can’t get enough of the “ten-dollar-Founding-Father.” 

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host a student showcase featuring music inspired by the breakout Broadway hit “Hamilton” on Friday, June 21.

Thirty-two middle school students from across the state will show off their stage and musical theater skills by performing songs adapted from “Hamilton” at 2 p.m. June 21 in the University Theatre in the Center for Performing Arts on the UA Little Rock campus. The event is free and open to the public with refreshments immediately following the performance.

UA Little Rock’s Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education is offering the musical theatre program, “MT Stage: The Hamilton Experience,” June 17-21 at UA Little Rock for students in grades 7-9. During the program, students focus on performance and stagecraft and explore the historical, societal, and cultural themes behind “Hamilton.”

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.

“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 camp is funded by an Arkansas Department of Education Academic Enrichment for the Gifted in the Summer (AEGIS) grant.

“The Mahony Center is committed to serving gifted children and youth through campus-based programming. MT Stage: The Hamilton Experience is a great example of what can be done in an  intensive week with excited kids, inspiring teachers, and dedicated leadership,” said Dr. Ann Robinson, director of the Jodie Mahony Center.

For more information, contact the Jodie Mahony Center at 501-569-3410.