By Scott Albright
Special to Outlook
Photos courtesy Susan Spann
In March 2020, the Learning Castle and La Cañada Preparatory were two weeks from presenting their spring musical production of “Frozen, Jr.,” when a global pandemic shut the world down.
On Saturday, March 23, the TLC and LCP’s performing arts department returned to the stage for the first time since March 2019 to present their spring production, “Broadway Junior Revue,” before near-capacity crowds at La Cañada’s own Lanterman Auditorium.
The revue was composed of scenes from six musicals that the schools had produced in previous years: “Annie,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King.”
Each grade level, starting with third, took on a different musical with a different cast for each of the two performances.
“Broadway Junior Revue” ran for two performances and incorporated more than 410 students in two casts. The annual musical is made possible by the financial support of TLC and LCP’s Annual Giving Campaign and the Strait Up Foundation.
The production featured director and LCP administrator Justin Whalin; co-director/ musical director and TLC music teacher Kristin Maitlen; and choreographers and TLC/LCP dance teachers Rakkell Villagomez and Michael Villagomez. The show was produced by TLC/LCP principal Terry Villanueva.
Others who helped make the production possible were Mark Seibert of Lanterman Auditorium, facility management; Steve Miller and Christine Michael, props and set pieces; Gohar Abramyan, Kristin Maitlen and Terry Villanueva, costumes; Printefex, program printing; Susan Spann of La Cañada Junior Theater, photography; and Scott Albright, technical direction.
“After four years, we wanted to give performance opportunities to as many of our students as possible,” Whalin said. “By picking six different musicals and having two separate casts in two different performances, we were able to create over 50 leading roles!”
Villanueva added: “We pride ourselves on our academic programs, but we also believe that the performing arts are a fundamental component of a well-rounded education. Each year, I’m astounded by the wide array of talent on display.”
The Learning Castle and La Cañada Preparatory are private schools for 4-year olds through 8th-graders located on the site of the former FIS campus at 4490 Cornishon Ave.
First published in the March 30 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
