Alpine Kids! to stage 'Beauty and the Beast'

Alpine Kids! Theatre Project, the educational outreach program offered by Alpine Theatre Project, is holding auditions for its fall session Tuesday.

Auditions take place at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center. The fall session will culminate in a production of the popular Disney musical, “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” 

The session is open to all Flathead Valley students in grades one through eight. Students will be given material at the audition to sing in groups.

Callbacks will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Classes and rehearsals will take place after school two to three times a week in Whitefish from 4 to 6 p.m. Performances will take place at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center Oct. 19 and 20.

Featuring songs from the Academy Award-winning animated feature, “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” is based on the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. When Maurice becomes lost in the woods on his way to the fair, he seeks shelter in an old castle, but the master of the castle is a horrible beast that takes him captive. Maurice’s daughter, Belle, must then give up her freedom to save his life.

Belle's taming of the unfortunate Beast and his ultimate transformation back into a handsome prince is a beloved fairy tale about very different people finding strength in one another and learning how to love. 

This latest session is a continuation of Alpine Theatre Project's successful educational program. Past productions include “The Jungle Book,” “Aladdin,” “Mulan,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Little Mermaid.”

The mission of Alpine Kids! is to foster confidence and creativity in local students through participation in theater. More than 750 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.

Interested parents and students can contact education director Luke Walrath at 862-7469 or aktp@atpwhitefish.org for more information.