Students representing Apex Performing Arts Collective earned recognition at the 2026 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta (JTF Atlanta). The monumental weekend dedicated to rewarding and celebrating excellent student-driven musical theater programs happened January 16-18, 2026, at the Cobb Convention Center in Atlanta, GA.
Apex Performing Arts Collective received the Excellence in Dance Award. Apex’s Lucy Leonard and Ashlyn Swedberg were named Junior Theater Festival All-Stars, a select group of outstanding performers. Maya Bridich made it to the call-back to a yet-to-be announced special project promoting musical theater in schools.
At the festival, each group performed 15 minutes of a Broadway Junior musical for adjudicators. Apex Performing Arts Collective presented Disney’s Newsies JR. to Morgan Rose-Johnson, Educator/Director/Choreographer and Dance Captain for Broadway’s School of Rock, 1st National Tour of Shrek the Musical and Off-Broadway’s Dear Edwina; Ben Diskant, writer/illustrator and creator of The Little Theatre Kid; and Cindy Ripley, Senior Education Consultant iTheatrics.
Said Rose-Johnson, “Apex is a feisty bunch and NEWSIES was a wonderful example of their bold energy and talents. These kiddos worked as a unit. They were so connected and clearly had each other’s backs, creating a true sense of community necessary to make this piece truly work.”
Added Diskant, “Creative choreography that amplified the student’s natural abilities. Theater is an athletic sport, and these kids had stamina, endurance, and focus. It was nonstop energy. Great teamwork.”
Noted Ripley, “This incredible cast works as a fabulous team! Their versatility on stage with interpreting many characters so seamlessly was a triumph! The confidence with which students balanced singing, acting, and staging points to a well-rounded and well-supported musical theatre program.”
Apex Performing Arts Collective is Denver’s highest quality performing arts hub! Offering camps, classes, and full musical theater productions for kids and teens of all ages, Apex approaches all of their programs with a technique-based, collaborative, and fun teaching method.
2022 marked the group’s first year at the festival. At the 2023 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta, The group won a Freddie G Excellence in Dance award. Additionally, student Ella Molinary (2023 and 2022 JTF Atlanta) won a Freddie G award for Outstanding Performance by an Individual. In 2024 the students were awarded the Freddie G Excellence in Acting award and in 2025 they received the Excellence in Ensemble award.
About the 2026 JTF Atlanta
Called a “rousing celebration of theatre” by The New York Times, the Junior Theater Festival applauds and empowers young people and educators creating student-driven musical theater around the globe.
The 2026 JTF Atlanta was an incredible weekend of singing, dancing, acting, and learning. 141 groups from 30 states, as well as Washington DC, Canada, the United Kingdom, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand participated in the festival.
Additional appearances at JTF Atlanta included Isaiah Bailey (The Phantom of the Opera), DB Bonds (Kinky Boots), Frank DiLella(NY1), Tyler Joseph Ellis (Shucked), Katy Geraghty (Into the Woods), Max Antonio Gonzalez (Huzzah!), Morgan Siobhan Green(Hadestown), Beau Harmon (“So You Think You Can Dance”), Briga Heelan (Once Upon a One More Time), Cori Jaskier (Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile), Taylor Iman Jones (Hamilton), Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone), Kelly Lomonte (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom), Brittney Mack (Six The Musical), JTF alum Nicholas Matos (Smash), Jodi Picoult (NYT Best Selling Author), JTF alum Amanda Reid(Hell’s Kitchen), Matthew Lee Robinson (Atlantis), Rob Rokicki (The Lightning Thief Musical), Darian Sanders (The Lion King), Kay Sibal (Six The Musical), Jacob Ryan Smith (Shelter Me), Mark Sonnenblick (KPOP Demon Hunters), and Brion Marquis Watson (MJ The Musical).
Groups enjoyed a New Works Showcase of performance selections from upcoming Broadway Junior musicals presented by JTF groups, and other mainstage performances featuring powerhouse Broadway guests and took part in workshops.
About iTheatrics and the Junior Theater Festivals
iTheatrics and the Junior Theater Group produce the Junior Theater Festivals. Based in New York City, for the last decade iTheatrics has established itself as the world’s leading authority on musical theater for young people. iTheatrics works with leading public and private companies around the world—including the Kennedy Center, NBC, and all the leading theatrical licensors—to make sure that young people everywhere have access to quality musical theater programs.
In addition to the Junior Theater Festival Atlanta, iTheatrics produces, hosts, and supports Junior Theater Festivals and one-day Junior Theater Celebrations in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.
Past festival attendees have included Ahrens & Flaherty, Skylar Astin, Joshua Bassett, Shoshana Bean, Sierra Boggess, Nicholas Christopher, Darren Criss, Zac Efron, Cynthia Erivo, Megan Hilty, Arielle Jacobs, Kenny Leon, Caissie Levy, Kara Lindsay, Ryan McCartan, Lindsay Mendez, Alan Menken, Pasek and Paul, Ben Platt, Olivia Rodrigo, Samsel & Anderson; Steven Schwartz, Ali Stroker, and Jeanine Tesori.
