FREDDIE G EXPERIENCE

Beginning in 2010, The Junior Theater Festival (JTF) renamed its annual awards “The Freddie G’s”, in honor of Freddie Gershon, Music Theatre International chairman and Broadway Junior founder. The awards are given to groups attending the JTF and honor such achievements as Outstanding Production, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Technical Theater Showcase and the Freddie G Community Service Award. Additionally, each year a small number of musical theatre educators are invited by Freddie to join him in New York City for the Freddie G Theatre Experience… where they receive a “Flat Freddie”

The Freddie G Theater Experience is a fully-funded weekend in the Big Apple complete with performances, celebrations, and workshops. In 2010, eight teachers took part in the weekend which included master classes with award-winning Broadway professionals including song writers Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman, director and choreographer Baayork Lee, director and choreographer Jeff Calhoun, and lighting designer Ken Billington. They also attended Broadway’s Mary Poppins, a pilot workshop of Singin’ in the Rain, JR. and toured Music Theatre International, iTheatrics, and the New Amsterdam Theater.

The recipients of the 2012 Freddie G Awards, including the Freddie G Teaching Experience, will be announced in Atlanta in January at the 2012 Junior Theater.

Freddie G Experience alumni:

2010:

Richard Hall, Relana Gerami, Aaron Goodson, Nathan Gerrells, Emily Moore, Heather Taft, Tina Reynolds and Christie Jeter,photographed with Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

2011:

Nicole McGann, John Beasley, Paul Chanda, Lynn Bordelon, Shell Ramirez, Rozalynn Fulton, Tiffany Dunagan, Steven Spicher

2012:

Dina Sarno Slawson, Rebecca M. Morris, Patsy M. Riley, Rhonda Cody Cato, Albert Lee Carter, Kevin G. Quillinan, Bakari King, Neeahtima Dowdy

Here’s a video overview of the program featuring the 2010 Freddie G alumni:
2012 Freddie G Experience Highlights