NewArts Announces Auditions for 'Matilda'

NewArts has released this press announcement

AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT

NewArts, a division of the 1214 Foundation, will present MATILDA, the Tony Award-winning Broadway phenomenon by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin, August 2 –11 at Masuk High School in Monroe, CT.

The musical is the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.

The production will star over 100 local area youth onstage, backstage and in the orchestra and will be directed by NewArts Producing Artistic Director, Michael Unger.

Performances will take place at Masuk High School – 1014 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe, CT 06468 Friday August 2nd at 7PM, Saturday August 3rd at 2PM and 7PM, Sunday August 4th at 2PM, Friday August 9th at 7PM, Saturday August 10th at 2PM and 7PM, and Sunday August 11th at 2PM.

The show will be double-cast to involve more children in the program – please check our website for more details (www.newarts.org).

AUDITION INFORMATION
Auditions will be held January 25-27 and February 1-3. Visit our website to sign up for auditions (newarts.org/summer2019auditions/).

Past NewArts productions include a perennial production of A Christmas Carol featuring a creative team that includes six Tony Award-Winners, last summer’s hugely successful production of Newsies (with the original Tony Award-winning choreography), the world premiere of A ROCKIN’ Midsummer Night’s Dream, School of Rock, The Lion King, Liberty Smith, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The 101 Dalmations Musical, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka, Liberty Smith, The Wizard of Oz and their inaugural production of Seussical: The Musical in 2013.

The young artists who participate in NewArts productions not only work together to create high quality productions while interacting with Broadway professionals on a daily basis, but they are also taken on a journey beyond the shows. Interwoven within the rehearsal schedule is a custom-built, character development curriculum designed by volunteers from the Yale School of Management and the University of Pennsylvania Masters of Applied Positive Psychology department. This challenging character development curriculum equips the cast and technical crew members with essential life skills such as grit, resilience, and post-traumatic growth which extend well beyond the stage into everyday life to help these young artists flourish as individuals and members of their community.

The NewArts experience is unique from any other performing arts program. Michael Baroody, MD, founder of the 12.14 Foundation explains, “the participating children will be entertaining the community with a Broadway-quality performance, but more important, throughout the rehearsal process, they are learning how to overcome obstacles, work as a team and realize the best versions of themselves.”

Whether performing onstage or helping behind the scenes, the NewArts mastery experience in combination with the 1214 Foundation’s flagship character development curriculum ARC (Aspire, Reach, Confidence) guides students through the pathways of self-efficacy, self-regulation and self-awareness to improve students’ overall well-being.

The 12.14 Foundation was formed in 2013 in Newtown, CT by a local parent named DR. MICHAEL BAROODY who had a mission: To equip students with life tools to flourish in a challenging world through a custom-designed character development curriculum enhanced by a mastery experience in the performing arts. Dr. Baroody is the Founder of the 12.14 Foundation and Executive Producer of NewArts. He is a plastic surgeon and lives in Newtown, CT, with his wife and two young daughters. Dr. Baroody makes time to lead the foundation’s empowering ARC Character Development sessions twice a week.

MICHAEL UNGER (NewArts Producing Artistic Director/Director), has directed a dozen large-scale musicals for the 1214 Foundation’s NewArts program over the past six years. He is also the Associate Artistic Director and Director of Education for Off-Broadway’s York Theatre Company in New York City where he has directed Big: The Musical, Milk and Honey and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Other directing credits include A Christmas Carol (McCarter Theatre – 1998-2015, NewArts – 2016-2017), Two Point Oh (Off-Broadway – NY Times Critics Pick), The Happy Time, The Rink, My Sister in this House, Grease, Crimes of the Heart, Pippin and over a dozen operas, two of which are available on DVD. World premieres include: Caligula, A ROCKIN’ Midsummer Night’s Dream (for NewArts), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Retribution (Off-Broadway).

For more information regarding the 1214 Foundation’s programs and how to support the longevity of our programs through donation www.newarts.org.