Mckinney Courier-gazette > News
McKinney Boyd theatre students to perform at international festival
Staff report
The McKinney Boyd High School Broadway Broncos will take their theatrical production of "Legally Blonde" on the road this summer to Lincoln, Neb.
They'll perform before a national audience at the Fiftieth Festival of the International Thespian Society, one of the biggest high school theatre events of the year.
More than 70 students from McKinney Boyd will present the musical during the week of June 24-29 on the festival main stage, in front of nearly 5,000 theatre students and professionals from across the U.S. and Canada, a McKinney ISD release stated.
Invitation to perform at the festival is a highly coveted honor among high school theatre programs, and inclusion of the McKinney Boyd production is a first for McKinney. Only the top 8 to 10 shows from around North America are chosen each year for the festival, according to the release.
"I am incredibly proud of the company of 'Legally Blonde,'" said Vicki Kirkley, McKinney Boyd theatre director. "It has been a privilege to work with amazingly talented students and watch them grow through this production process. The Broadway Broncos have been working to raise the bar for theatre in our community and this invitation shows that we are well on our way as we strive for excellence."
Festival week offers learning opportunities for students and educators in the form of workshops and master classes, a student leadership program, auditions for college admission, Thespian scholarships, the Thespian Playworks student playwriting program and more.
Because of the costs involved in transporting and providing accommodations for 70 students on a six-day trip, along with the equipment required to produce a large-scale musical, the Broadway Broncos will be raising money over the next few months to make it happen. Anyone interested in donating to their effort can contact Vicki Kirkley at vkirkley@mckinneyisd.net.
They'll perform before a national audience at the Fiftieth Festival of the International Thespian Society, one of the biggest high school theatre events of the year.
More than 70 students from McKinney Boyd will present the musical during the week of June 24-29 on the festival main stage, in front of nearly 5,000 theatre students and professionals from across the U.S. and Canada, a McKinney ISD release stated.
Invitation to perform at the festival is a highly coveted honor among high school theatre programs, and inclusion of the McKinney Boyd production is a first for McKinney. Only the top 8 to 10 shows from around North America are chosen each year for the festival, according to the release.
"I am incredibly proud of the company of 'Legally Blonde,'" said Vicki Kirkley, McKinney Boyd theatre director. "It has been a privilege to work with amazingly talented students and watch them grow through this production process. The Broadway Broncos have been working to raise the bar for theatre in our community and this invitation shows that we are well on our way as we strive for excellence."
Festival week offers learning opportunities for students and educators in the form of workshops and master classes, a student leadership program, auditions for college admission, Thespian scholarships, the Thespian Playworks student playwriting program and more.
Because of the costs involved in transporting and providing accommodations for 70 students on a six-day trip, along with the equipment required to produce a large-scale musical, the Broadway Broncos will be raising money over the next few months to make it happen. Anyone interested in donating to their effort can contact Vicki Kirkley at vkirkley@mckinneyisd.net.
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