The Born to Be Arts Academy’s theatre company, Triple Threat Theatre, offers training in the arts for children and youths under the age of 19. Starting Thursday, Feb. 15 and running until Saturday, Feb. 17 across four showings, the academy will showcase the hard work and talent of young students aged eight to 13 in the upcoming “Matilda Jr.” musical.
The show will take place at the Mae Wilson Theatre with show times beginning at 7 p.m. on each consecutive day. On Feb. 17, an additional matinee production will start at 2 p.m.
“They (our junior group) have been working hard since September, and they are really excited to put on this great show,” said Kristin Hordyk, the administrator of Born to Be Arts Academy.
“It’s about a little girl with astonishing wit and intelligence who lives with cruel parents. They find her to be a nuisance. She is going into her first term at school, (where) she captures the attention of a kind teacher, and they form a friendship. Unfortunately, the school is ruled by a mean headmistress who hates kids, but Matilda is determined to change her story. From there, there’s the musical.”
The musical will take some artistic license and slightly differs from both the 1988 book “Matilda” written by Roald Dahl and the 1996 film directed by Danny DeVito, although the plot line will be recognizable.
“A musical and a movie can always be someone’s take on (the original book). There are definitely similarities in the general storyline, but in the musical, there will be some differences for sure,” she explained.
The musical is directed by Jessika Kopp and Abigail Miller with the Born to Be Arts Academy, and around 35 children will take part in the upcoming performance.
“It will be great!” Hordyk said. “These kids are so talented, and they have been working so hard. We’re thrilled to be able to work with them and give them the opportunity to do this.”
With a focus on developing singing, dancing, and acting talents, the ‘Triple Threat’ also wants to focus on developing their students as people – through character development, giving them confidence, developing leadership ability, and giving them opportunities to shine and build them in more ways than just their stage skills. “That’s one thing at the core of our program – we want to mentor in character development as well as artistic abilities,” Hordyk said. “We want to provide a fun, laid-back, low-key environment, but also provide excellent arts training to students. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to be able to experience the fun and creativity of our program.”
The programs offered by the academy help to build confidence in young people, and the studio’s directors work to develop the natural talent of students.
These programs range from recreational and competitive dance lessons to hands-on art classes to courses such as taekwondo, with more information available on the studio’s website, BornToBe.ca. Starting on Monday, Jan. 8, a new intake for a children’s art class will commence and registration is now open. Classes that begin in January will run through to March and include baby ballet, baby acro, and hip-hop for ages five to six.
After the performance of “Matilda Jr.” by the studio’s junior group, a second production by the 13 to 19 age group will take place this spring with details to follow.
“You will not regret going to it,” said Hordyk. “It’s going to be a great production.”
For more information about the academy, Kristin Hordyk can be reached at info@borntobe.ca.
Tickets for “Matilda Jr.” cost $26.25 for an adult and $21 for youth, with early bird rates starting at $15.75. To purchase tickets, visit MooseJawCulture.ca. The Mae Wilson Theatre is located at 217 Main Street North and the box office can be reached at 306-693-4700.
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