New Star Theatre

Serving Sacramento Families Since 1982

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NEW STAR CHILDREN'S THEATRE

New Star Children’s Theatre

When you walk into a rehearsal for the New Star Children’s Theatre the first thing you notice is every child there looks happy. Every child has a smile on their face. That’s the most important thing to New Star, Director, Dana Hendry. Her aim for children who participate in New Star’s Musical Theatre workshops is that each child is having fun, making new friends, gaining confidence in themselves, and most of all, having their moment in the spotlight.

New Star was founded in 1978, in Trenton, Ontario Canada, by Dana Hendry, as a Junior in High School. She, and a group of friends, directed her first original musical “You’re a holiday” with 30 elementary school children, from a local school. After the performances, the children and parents were so happy with the outcome that they begged Dana and her troupe of fellow theatre students to “do another production”. They agreed and New Star was born.

In the past 30 years New Star moved to Ottawa Ontario Canada, where it lives on under the direction of Dana’s youngest sister Melanie, and her mother, Carole-Ann. After moving to California is 2001 to marry her husband Robert, Dana started New Star again in Brentwood, California, and now in Folsom California. Dana has been directing Folsom area children in several productions for the past two years including “Snow White”, “Annie Jr”, “The Totally true story of Cinderella and the Prince”, and the current production of “Beauty and the Beast Jr”.

Children are taught the basics of acting, singing and dancing by participating in the musical theatre workshops. What makes New Star unique is three things:

1. All children who audition are accepted, regardless of talent. Every child is given a role in the show with lines. No child is only in the ensemble/chorus. Dana firmly believes that every child has talent and every child deserves a chance to be in the spotlight. There is always a minimum of two casts to ensure that each child has a role and all of the children play the “Chorus” for the opposite cast. Many times cast members have been heard saying they enjoy their “off-cast” role as much as or more then their “lead-role”!

2. When you come to see a production by New Star, you will see children ranging in age from 4-16. New Star emphasizes that the expectation at each show is that each child does their own personal best. This means you will see varying levels of experience and talent on the stage from the “seasoned” sixteen year old actress who has been in multiple productions and been nominated for an Elly award or two, to the little four year old who is standing on the stage for their very first production, so proudly speaking their lines!

3. New Star has many opportunities for children to pursue their love of singing, dancing and acting! Upcoming auditions include “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor dreamcoat” for children ages 4-16! No experience is necessary and every child will be accepted! This workshop will rehearse one day a week, on Fridays after school and/or evenings! The performances will be in May. Auditions take place at Oak Hills church, 1100 Blue Ravine, Folsom in room D2, on Friday Jan. 29^th by appointment only, between 4 and 9 pm!

New Star is also offering a Special Workshop for “experienced” children. The production is an original musical called “The Amazing adventure of “Little Red and Goldilocks” and it is for children 7 and up. The rehearsals will be Mondays from 7-9 with the performances being in May. Children must prepare a monologue and song for this audition and not every child will be accepted. Auditions will be Monday Feb. 1^st at Oak Hills Church, at 7 pm.

New Star’s Triple Threat Troupe will also be auditioning new members on Feb. 1^st at 5 pm at Oak Hills Church in room D2. Children who have experience singing, dancing and acting between 7-14 years of age are invited to try out for “Triple Threat”. This troupe of young actors has performed in the community at various events including Six Flaggs Discovery Kingdom, the Folsom Thursday night Market, Kidfest in Fair Oaks, and many other events through the area.

“Beauty and the Beast Jr” opens on Jan. 16/17^th at 2:30 and 7 pm staring 30 talented children ages 4-14! It will be presented at Golden Hills School, 1060 Suncast Lane, El Dorado Hills, CA. Tickets are available in advance or at the door. To find out more about purchasing tickets or to set up an audition for your child go to: