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Main Street Kids' Club: A Mathstart Musical & Sleepover

Theater for kids by kids!

July 17, 2014
When the young actors at Crescent City Lights Youth Theater take the stage this summer – although they range in age from only 8 to 15 years -- they will be part of a “coming of age” event as the program celebrates 21 years of providing quality children’s theater in New Orleans.
 
Founder and Executive Director Julie Condy said she started CCLYT, formerly known as Summer Stages, to teach young people theatre skills.  Now she knows that these aspiring thespians and their families learn much more than how to merely play a role on stage.
 
“One of the most important things the Crescent City Lights Youth Theater offers is the opportunity to learn 21st century job and life skills in an affirming theatre setting,” Condy said. “The cast learns to build their confidence on and off stage. By the time the production opens, they are ready to go out in front of a hundred people – without fear! And their families are so proud of their efforts!”
 
Condy, whose background is in classical vocal music (she sings with the New Orleans Opera Association), founded CCLYT because she saw the lack of quality children’s theatre in the city. On a shoestring budget and a lot of determination, she developed this award-winning youth theater company which performs musical intended for young performers.  The name of the company changed to Crescent City Lights Youth Theater, when, after Hurricane Katrina, a partnership was forged with New Orleans Recreation Development Commission. CCLYT was named the Best Kept Secret from the Downtown Development District in 2012 and has won outstanding achievement awards at the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta from 2011 to 2013.
 
CCLYT alumni use their theater skills in a variety of ways both in and out of school.  While in school, CCLYT alums become elected class leaders, debate team champions as well as performers in their school musicals.  As adults, CCLYT alums are in a variety of professions from professional performing artists to teachers to lawyers to advertising executives.  They all fondly remember their CCLYT days as the “best summers of our lives!”
 
2014 Season of two productions
The first production, a New Orleans premiere is “Main Street Kids’ Club: A Mathstart Musical,” inspired by the award-winning book series by Stuart Murphy. This musical tells a tale of adventure, mystery, friendship and math. Six stories, each focusing on a different mathematical concept have been cleverly woven together and adapted by the creators of "Schoolhouse Rock Live" with music by Scott Ferguson.
Main Street Kids Club Performance Dates:  Friday to Sunday, July 18 - 20.
 
The second production, “Sleepover,” is an original musical from the TADA Youth Theater in NYC.  In Sleepover, Mia is finally allowed to have her first sleepover party--for girls only. Too bad the girls don't know the boys are crashing the party. This delightful, hilarious musical has all the antics of a great slumber party. With great songs like "Sleepwalker" and "Pizza Boys Deliver," this audience favorite promises to be fun for the whole family! With a cast of 22+ kids ages of 9-15, this is a delightful production of a CCLYT favorite.
Sleepover Performance Dates:  Friday to Sunday, August 15-17 and August 22-24.