From staff reports
The Young Americans, a non-profit organization performing group based in southern California, is seeking area students in third through 12th grade to participate in its “Turn Up The Music National Tour.”
The performing group will host three-day signature workshops in the region.
The Keystone School District workshop will be held from Sunday and Monday, Oct. 29-30, and Thursday, Nov. 2. There will be two performances held at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30, and Wednesday, Nov. 1, in the high school auditorium.
The workshop in the Franklin area will be held Sunday, Nov. 5, at St. John’s Episcopal Church and Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 6- 7, at the Barrow Civic Theatre. There will be one performance at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Barrow Civic Theatre.
Specially-trained instructors will cover everything from vocal techniques, dance, and comedy improvisation, to stage movement, sound, lighting, and more. Students will be separated into elementary, middle, and high school groups to learn age-appropriate material.
After the workshops, student participants will put on a public performance. The Young Americans cast of 45 will perform the first act, and then, local students will perform the second act. The show will include choral, jazz, contemporary, musical theater, rock n’ roll and more.
Tickets will be $8 to$10 and will be sold at the end of the workshop day and 30 minutes prior to the performance.
Registration for 16 hours of performance, dance and vocal workshops is $59 per student and includes a tour T-shirt. Students can collect signatures on their shirt after the performance from The Young Americans cast and their friends. Limited scholarships may be available for registration fees.
For more information and to register, people may visit reg.youngamericans.org. For tour and workshop videos, people may visit yalive.com.
About the Young Americans
Clarion connection
The Clarion County workshops and performances will include two local high school alumni.
Eric Funk Jr. is a 2016 graduate of Clarion Area High School and is casting with the East Coast Tour. Rachel Bennett is a Keystone High School alum and will be joining the cast during the Keystone workshop.
Both are students at The Young American’s College of Performing Arts in Corona, California., along with Sarah Hubauer, a Clarion-Limestone alum.
More information about the Clarion County workshops is available by contacting the choir directors at one of the participating schools or Barb Funk at (814) 229-4555.
Host families needed
Local families are also needed to host two or more Young Americans during this event. As a non-profit organization, they rely on families to help house their touring group as they do their community outreach. Host families have helped house over 3,000 Young Americans in 25 countries.
