New Musical Camps in 2026!
2026 Registration Opens January 15!
This summer the Center for Creative Arts will offer two weeks of a full Disney Jr. musical in June, ending with a one-hour performance on the Friday evening of camps. This year’s production is Disney’s Newsies Jr. for rising 2nd to rising 8th grade students.
New in 2026 – we are offering a third week of camp especially created for younger campers (Rising 2nd-5th grade) in July. Students in this more relaxed camp, which will not require auditions, will develop their dramatic and musical skills, have fun singing, dancing, and have time for arts and crafts and theatre games. Students will perform a half-hour show of Disney: The Movies, The Music on Friday afternoon of camp. Read below for full details!
2026 Disney's Newsies JR!
Directed by Erin Franklin
Rising 2nd - 8th Graders
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
$350 per child
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Camp 1: June 8-12
Camp 2: June 15-18
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It’s time to carry the banner with Disney’s Newsies JR.! You’ll be doing flips for the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of young newsies in Manhattan. When titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsies’ expense, Jack rallies young workers from across the city to strike against the unfair conditions and fight for what's right! Adapted especially for young performers, this musical features a Tony Award®-winning score by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award® winner Harvey Fierstein, and includes rousing songs like “Carrying the Banner,” “Seize the Day,” and “King of New York.” Newsies JR. is packed with nonstop thrills and a timeless message perfect for the whole family and every audience.
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Because of the limited cast size, camps will fill up quickly. Please fill out the Online Registration Form below. Online registration opens January 15.​​​
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Spots will be secured by a time-stamped receipt of the online form. We will email you an invoice which must be paid within two weeks of invoice receipt to retain your spot in the camp. Registration will not be confirmed until payment has been received. ​​​​​
Directed by Erin Franklin, every child will be on stage for most of the musical! Celebrating the 16th anniversary of musical theater camps sponsored by The Center for Creative Arts, each camp ends with a full evening production on the last day of camp. Children develop self-confidence on-stage in this action-packed camp! Snacks, T-shirt, & book included. Bring a water bottle and a nut-free lunch.
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Erin Franklin has more than three decades of experience in both performance and music education. After graduating with her Bachelor of Music degree from Longwood University, Erin began teaching elementary music at Pinchbeck Elementary and then later at Echo Lake Elementary. During her 23 years in Henrico County Public Schools, she has directed hundreds of performances, achieved National Board Certification, been named Teacher of the Year at both Pinchbeck and Echo Lake Elementaries, and was named Henrico’s Music Teacher of the Year for 2020. In August 2025, she moved out of the classroom to a supervisory role as Henrico’s K-5 Lead Teacher for Music.​​​​​
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Disney's Newsies AUDITION DATES: Audition Materials and Signup Genius Link will be sent out by February 1, 2026 if you have paid in full and completed all forms.
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March 2026 Audition Dates to be determined.
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Choose one audition day. Auditions will be held in the main Church Sanctuary. They are relaxed and educational!
After you have registered and paid in full for the camp, you will receive two links: 1) A Sign-Up Genius link to schedule your audition date and time, and 2) Audition Choices Packet including the drama and solo singing parts that your child will use during the audition, and an audio of all songs in the musical that your child will use to prepare for both the audition and the week of camp. The Audition Packet will include choices for a drama reading and a song to perform. Please note that memorization of drama and song choices are very important for a great audition!
Please indicate your child's t-shirt size on the Online Enrollment Form!
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Due to the busy audition schedule, and to ensure every child has a chance to audition, please Do Not Change your Sign-up Genius Date after March 1st - Contact Erin Franklin to make changes after March 1st. If you have a conflict with the day you have signed up on, please contact Erin!
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2026 Disney: The Movies, The Music!
Directors: Bethany Johnson
Assistant Director: Lexi Jennings
Rising 2nd - 5th Graders
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
$350 per child
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July 20-24
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Join this fun camp as we celebrate Disney magic with favorite songs from the movies of Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King! Songs include: Mickey Mouse Mash-Up; You Can Fly; Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious; The Bare Necessities; Under the Sea and Circle of Life.
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Taught by professional elementary school music teachers – students will learn the songs and choreography of famous Disney songs and perform for their families on Friday afternoon of camp. In this more relaxed camp – students will develop their acting, singing and dancing skills – including learning how to prepare for an audition, playing fun theatre games to learn about speaking on-stage, character development, movement, and enjoy craft time!
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Directed by Bethany Johnson and Assistant Director Lexi Jennings, every child will be on stage for most of the Friday afternoon performance! Children develop self-confidence on stage in this action-packed camp! Snacks and T-shirts will be provided! Bring a water bottle and a nut-free lunch.
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Bethany Johnson received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from George Mason University. She has been teaching K-5th grade music education and directing music performances for 8 years – she has taught in Loudon County and Arlington, Virginia, and most recently at Harold Macon Ratcliffe Elementary School in Henrico County where she was awarded Teacher of the Year, 2025, and recognized as Henrico’s Yay of the Day in Spring 2025.
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Lexi Jennings received her Bachelor of Music with a concentration in Education from James Madison University. She has performed in and directed choral groups at JMU and has served as a choral judge. Lexi has taught K-5 Music Education and directed music and choral performances for 5 years in Fairfax, Virginia, where she was also a new teacher mentor, and for the last three years at River’s Edge Elementary School in Henrico.
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Previous Musicals
