Contributed by Lainie Dreas
Parents, students, teachers... This year let's do it live!
For the first time since 2020, school buses lined G St in Downtown Anchorage as masses of Alaska students headed to Alaska Center for the Performing Arts to kick off the 'Let's Do It Live' 2022/2023 Season of Alaska Junior Theater (AJT) this month.
(Caption: Buses wait outside Alaska Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Anchorage as students enjoy a November 4 performance of “Have You Filled a Bucket Today: The Musical!”. Photo courtesy of Jason Herr)
This season will be AJT's official return to live performances after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since March 2020, it has been a long struggle to keep AJT afloat until we could return to live theater,” said Executive Director Lainie Dreas. “I am so grateful to our board, volunteers and many generous donors who believed we could have this wonderful day full of children in our theater again. Such magic was created today!”
AJT is a local nonprofit dedicated to bringing the best in professional theater from around the world to young Alaskan audiences. Prior to the pandemic, more than 35,000 students attended live performances annually.
For many students, AJT’s school-time presentations are their only exposure to the performing arts.
Leading the 'Let's Do It Live' Season was “Have you Filled a Bucket Today: The Musical!”
This brand new, fun-filled musical from Virginia Repertory Theatre is based on the concepts in Carol McCloud’s award-winning children’s books, Have You Filled a Bucket Today?, Growing Up with a Bucket Full of Happiness and Ann Marie Gardinier Halstead’s book, The Bucket Filling Fairy.
The books and play use the concept of a “bucket” to show students how to express kindness, appreciation and love to be “bucket-fillers.” The play focuses on the benefits of positive, thoughtful behavior. ‘Have you Filled a Bucket Today: The Musical!’ relays the joys of friendship and compassion for both the receiver and the giver.
The aim of the play is to help teach students to be bucket-fillers rather than bucket-dippers with this musical performance designed to promote healthy relationships, self-esteem and bring character education front and center-stage at schools.
Next in the lineup, AJT celebrates Latinx culture through the storytelling of David Gonzalez.
In “Cuentos: Tales from the Latinx World” (Grades K-6), Master Storyteller David Gonzalez paints a vivid picture of the people and rich cultures of the Spanish-speaking world with colorful tales from the Caribbean, South America and the Bronx!
From the silly antics of the Puerto Rican anti-hero ‘Juan Bobo’ to the mysterious dealings and powers of the Orishas in a suite of Afro-Cuban stories, these tales are filled with memorable characters, fantastic plots and positive messages for children.
"With speech, sound, mime, dance and above all, inspired imagination, Mr. Gonzalez has the gift of creating magical worlds and drawing his audience into them. A palpable delight," The New York Times said of Gonzalez.
Along with Latin music played by pianist Daniel Kelly, Spanish language words are sprinkled throughout the stories and songs in such a way that young audiences can repeat and retain their sound and meaning. A great introduction to the marvelous world of Latino literature and culture.
School show performances of ‘”Cuentos: Tales from the Latinx World” will be held December 1-2 in the Atwood Concert Hall at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. No public performances will be held for this event.
Programming continues in 2023 with “The Velveteen Rabbit”, Collision of Rhythm and “The Ugly Duckling.”
Public performances will be available for “The Velveteen Rabbit” and “The Ugly Duckling.” Teachers and educators can reach out to AJT to arrange for their class to attend all of our remaining school performances.
For event information or questions, please contact AJT by visiting www.akjt.org or calling (907) 272-7546.