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<\/p>\nFort Myers’ Jonny Serrat was sitting with his Melody Lane Performing Arts teammates in the Cobb Convention Center in Atlanta during the Junior Theatre Festival awards ceremony. Melody Lane had just received an award for Excellence in Ensemble for their production of \u201cAladdin.\u201d Now the individual awards were being announced.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey started naming the Outstanding Performers and my name went up and I’m like no way,\u201d Serrat recounted. \u201cThey first listed the theater, Melody Lane Performing Arts Center, and then they said my name and there were so many emotions. I was very happy. I was surprised. It was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was honored, of course, by the recognition and the medal he received. But he was over the top with the other perk that comes with the award \u2013 a spot in the iTheatrics summer camp in New York City.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are pilot productions, brand new shows that are being workshopped and adapted,\u201d said Serrat.<\/p>\n
As part of those groundbreaking productions, he\u2019ll have the opportunity to foster relationships with his fellow campers and a host of Broadway producers, directors and performers. But it\u2019s more than the chance to learn from Broadway\u2019s best.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s kind of comforting,\u201d he said. \u201cThey started out in the same position as you, and maybe they didn’t have as many resources as you do, but they still somehow made it and it’s kind of awesome to see.<\/p>\n
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Courtesy of Melody Lane Performing Arts Center <\/p>\n
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Artistic Director Dana Alvarez <\/p>\n
Jonny Serrat and his Melody Lane Performing Arts Center teammates strike a pose at the 2026 Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta. <\/p>\n
MORE INFORMATION:<\/p>\n
Serrat was part of the competition team that Melody Lane Performing Arts Center took to Atlanta in January for this year\u2019s Junior Theatre Festival. Director Dana Alvarez calls JTF theater\u2019s Super Bowl. Called a \u201crousing celebration of theatre\u201d by The New York Times, the Junior Theater Festival applauds and empowers young people and educators creating student-driven musical theater around the globe.<\/p>\n
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Courtesy of Melody Lane Performing Arts Center<\/p>\n
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Artistic Director Dana Alvarez<\/p>\n
Melody Lane Director Dana Alavarez called the Junior Theatre Festival the Super Bowl for theater students.<\/p>\n
The weekend competition draws more than 7,000 competitors, teachers, family, friends and members of the public. This year, 141 teams from 31 states, Washington D.C., England, Scotland, Wales, France, Malta, Australia and New Zealand participated in the weekend festival. So, receiving Outstanding Performer recognition is quite a feat.<\/p>\n
Competitors are given 15 minutes to perform a medley of musical numbers from a junior musical theater production. They then receive feedback from the adjudicators, who are a combination of Broadway producers, directors and performers.<\/p>\n
This year, Melody Lane performed a medley from \u201cAladdin JR.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Courtesy of Melody Lane Performing Arts Center<\/p>\n
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Artistic Director Dana Alvarez<\/p>\n
Jonny Serrat and his Melody Lane teammates perform 15 minutes of ‘Aladdin’ for the adjudicators at the 2026 Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta. <\/p>\n
The key to success at JTF, noted Alvarez, is choosing songs that tell a complete story, which can be challenging since junior musicals typically have run times of between 90 and 120 minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we did \u2018Arabian Nights,\u2019\u2019One Jump Ahead,\u2019 \u2018Proud of Your Boy,\u2019 which is actually a solo for Aladdin that we were able to work all of the cast in with choreography, and a new song for the musical called \u2018Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim,\u2019 which is about Aladdin and his friends,\u201d Alvarez noted. \u201cThen \u2018The Cave of Wonders\u2019 into \u2018Friend Like Me\u2019 and then we ended with \u2018A Whole New World.\u2019 So we stuffed a whole lot into those 15 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
One huge benefit that comes from competing in the Junior Theatre Festival is the opportunity for students to attend workshops with Broadway\u2019s best and brightest.<\/p>\n
Students also enjoy a New Works Showcase of performance selections from upcoming Broadway Junior musicals presented by JTF groups, and other mainstage performances featuring powerhouse Broadway guests and those who took part in the workshops.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, there was Jasmine Amy Rogers, who was just Tony nominated for playing Betty Boop in \u2018BOOP! The Betty Boop the Musical,\u201d said Serrat. I was starstruck. She\u2019s great. Phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Courtesy of Melody Lane Performing Arts Center<\/p>\n
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Melody Lane Performing Arts Center <\/p>\n
Jonny Serrat sings song from ‘Aladdin’ at Junior Theatre Festival in Atlanta. <\/p>\n
Serrat began acting in elementary school. Not that he had a choice. He attended Edison Park Elementary.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a performing arts school,\u201d Serrat noted. \u201cEvery student was required to audition for the school show (which was \u2018High School Musical\u2019). I wasn’t too interested at first, but then I got a call back for [the role of] Troy Bolton.<\/p>\n
Bolton is the lead in the musical. The captain of the high school basketball team, Bolton breaks convention by pursuing theater and indulging his passion for singing, much to the chagrin of his father, his coach and his teammates.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I got the call back, I became very interested and ended up landing the role. And now we’re here.\u201d<\/p>\n
In between, he also had a part in Melody Lane\u2019s summer intensive production of \u201cThe Hunchback of Notre Dame.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was Serrat\u2019s fourth Junior Theatre Festival. He said he auditions for the team each year because of the workshops they offer at the festival.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe workshops they provide there are very helpful. They really are. And they also provide iTheatrics summer camps for acting, dancing, singing. It’s a really great experience and it’s very fun, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Courtesy of Melody Lane Performing Arts Center<\/p>\n
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Artistic Director Dana Alvarez<\/p>\n
The Melody Lane 2026 JTF competition team. <\/p>\n