[Fort Worth, TX] [Aug. 12, 2025] -Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts (FWAFA) will present a production of Disney’s Newsies, Jr. as part of the second annual Disney on Broadway School of Excellence Program, a partnership of the Educational Theatre Foundation, Disney Theatrical Group, and Music Theatre International. The school’s production, featuring FWAFA students led by Mrs. Hope Wilton, Mrs. Debbie Pesnell (Music Director), Lori Vasquez (Dance Director), plays at the Mary D. & F. Howard Walsh Center for Performing Arts on November 13 and 14, 2025.
Mrs. Darla Jones, Theatre Department Chair, shared her excitement. “We are absolutely thrilled and honored to have been chosen by Disney Theatrical Group, Music Theatre International (MTI), and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) for the Disney on Broadway School of Excellence Grant! Being selected to produce Newsies Jr. through this prestigious program is an incredible opportunity that recognizes the hard work and passion of our students and staff. We can’t wait to bring this inspiring story to life and share the magic of theatre with our community! Special thanks go to Mrs. Rebecca Magnus for her stellar work on the grant application.”
Created in 2024 to celebrate 30 years of Disney on Broadway, the School of Excellence program is an annual initiative recognizing middle and high schools across the United States for their exceptional student-led involvement in theatre production. The nationwide competition called upon schools to demonstrate creativity, leadership, and student engagement in theatrical disciplines such as stagecraft, direction, performance, choreography, and design. Winning schools receive free licensing and production materials to produce a Disney musical in the 2025-2026 school year, plus exclusive educational webinars with industry professionals. Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts is one of 21 winners selected for the second cohort of the program.
“Disney Theatrical Group is proud to partner with ETF and MTI in recognition of the outstanding student work taking place in school theater programs across the country,” said Disney Theatrical Group. “It is especially meaningful for us to celebrate 30 years of Disney on Broadway by supporting and showcasing the next generation of young theater-makers.”
For tickets to Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts’s production of Newsies, Jr., please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/newsies-jr-tickets-1587947055389?aff=oddtdtcreator More information on the Disney on Broadway School of Excellence Program, including a full list of winning schools, can be found at schooltheatre.org/school-of-excellence.
ABOUT FORT WORTH ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS
Founded in 1986, FWAFA is a public charter school committed to providing a well-rounded education that blends academic excellence with rich opportunities in the fine arts. Through programs in visual arts, dance, theater, and music, FWAFA inspires students to think creatively, collaborate meaningfully, and lead confidently in both academic and artistic pursuits.
ABOUT TEXAS CENTER FOR ARTS + ACADEMICS
Texas Center for Arts + Academics (TCA+A) is a 501c3 nonprofit with a mission to inspire and empower students with a lifelong passion for learning, academic achievement, and artistic excellence. TCA+A manages two public charter schools, Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts and Texas School of the Arts, three premier choirs, and four after-school conservatory programs that provide a vast array of professional training in Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Art. TCA+A is located in the creative hub of Fort Worth with more than 1,000 youth enrolled in its schools, conservatories, and summer programs annually.
About Educational Theatre Foundation
The Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) is the philanthropic arm of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) and the International Thespian Society. ETF advances the field of educational theatre by broadening representation and increasing access for all. ETF’s programs support students, educators, and the broader field by advancing three strategic goals: funding underserved and emerging student theatre programs, providing professional development for theatre educators, and commissioning research that demonstrates the value of theatre education. ETF is committed to fostering sustainable theatre programs that can thrive long-term, ensuring lasting impact for students, educators, and communities. Learn more at foundation.schooltheatre.org.
About Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.
MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists, and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials, and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community, and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide.
MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary- and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.
MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City with additional offices in London (MTI Europe) and Melbourne (MTI Australasia).
About Disney Theatrical Group
DISNEY THEATRICAL GROUP, a division of The Walt Disney Studios, was formed in 1994 and operates under the direction of Andrew Flatt, Anne Quart and Thomas Schumacher. Worldwide, its ten Broadway titles have been seen by more than 200 million theatregoers and have been nominated for 62 Tony® Awards, winning Broadway’s highest honor 20 times. The company’s inaugural production, Beauty and the Beast, opened in 1994, playing a remarkable 13-year run on Broadway and produced in replica productions around the world over four decades. In November 1997, Disney made theatrical history with the opening of The Lion King, which received six 1998 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Director, Julie Taymor, who became the first woman in Broadway history to the win the award. Surpassing 25 landmark years on Broadway, it has welcomed 112 million visitors worldwide to date and has multiple productions currently running worldwide. The Lion King has played over 100 cities in 24 countries on every continent except Antarctica, and its worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or entertainment title in box office history. Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida opened on Broadway next, winning four 2000 Tony Awards. It was followed by Mary Poppins, a co-production with Cameron Mackintosh, which opened in London in 2004 and went on to enjoy a six-year Tony-winning Broadway run. Tarzan®, Tony-nominated for its 2006 Broadway premiere, went on to become an international hit with an award-winning production enjoying a ten-year run in Germany. In January 2008, The Little Mermaid opened on Broadway and was the best-selling new musical of that year. Disney Theatrical Group opened two critically acclaimed productions on Broadway in 2012, winning seven Tony Awards between them: Peter and the Starcatcher and Newsies, each of which enjoyed a two-year run and launched North American tours, with Newsies playing a record-breaking Fathom Events in-cinema release. Aladdin, Disney Theatrical Group’s 2014 hit, continues its smash Broadway run. It has launched nine productions on four continents and been seen by more than 17 million guests. Disney Theatrical Group’s newest hit, the 2018 Tony-nominated Best Musical Frozen has launched eight productions around the world. Other stage ventures include the world-premiere of Hercules in Hamburg, Germany, the Olivier-nominated West End hit Shakespeare in Love, stage productions of Disney’s High School Musical, Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame in Berlin and King David in concert on Broadway. Disney Theatrical Group has collaborated with preeminent theatres in the US to develop new stage musicals including The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Freaky Friday. As a part of the recent acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Disney Theatrical Group also heads the Buena Vista Theatrical banner, which licenses Fox titles for stage adaptations including Anastasia, Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Mrs. Doubtfire. Next on the Disney Theatrical schedule: The premiere of Hercules in London’s West End, the North American tour of a reimagined production of Beauty and The Beast, and the ongoing development of the smash film The Greatest Showman as a stage musical. With dozens of productions currently produced or licensed, a Disney musical is being performed professionally somewhere on the planet virtually every hour of the day.
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