AKTP to hold auditions Sept. 14

The Alpine Kids! Theatre Project (AKTP), the educational outreach program offered by the Alpine Theatre Project, is holding auditions for its fall session, culminating in a production of the popular Disney musical, “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” Auditions will be held on Sept. 14 at 4 p.m. at the Whitefish Middle School auditorium.

The session is open to all valley students in grades 1-8. Students will be given material at the audition to sing in groups. Callbacks will be held at 6 p.m. that evening. Classes/rehearsals will take place after school 2-3 times a week in Whitefish from 4-6 p.m. Performances will take place at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center on Oct. 20-21.

“The Little Mermaid Jr.” takes place in a magical kingdom beneath the sea, where a beautiful young mermaid named Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. But first, she’ll have to defy her father, the king of the sea, escape the clutches of an evil sea witch and convince a prince that she’s the girl with the perfect voice. This classic Disney title contains all of the songs from the Academy award winning animated feature film as well as three new songs from the Broadway show.

This latest session is a continuation of Alpine Theatre Project’s successful educational program offered to local students. Past fall productions include “The Jungle Book,” “Aladdin,” “Mulan,” and “Alice in Wonderland.” The mission of AKTP is to foster confidence and creativity in local students through participation in theatre. More than 700 students from every school in the valley have participated in the program since it began.

An $80 tuition fee is required for participation, but full and partial scholarships are available to students who require assistance, thanks to donors of the AKTP Educational Fund. This session is currently sponsored by Kalispell KiDDS, Target, and the Plum Creek Foundation, as well as Phil and Donna Harris with assistance from Nelson’s ACE Hardware and Northwest Imaging.