History The Junior Theater Festival began in 2003 as a way to celebrate and encourage students and teachers who are presenting musicals in their schools and communities. Each festival the groups seem to bring even more creativity, enthusiasm and joy to this event, and in turn, iTheatrics responds by creating more opportunities and experiences. As of 2010, the Junior Theater Festival has become an annual event! 2009 was a fabulous event. Disney Theatrical Productions President Thomas Schumacher and Broadway actor Henry Hodges (Mary Poppins) gave the Festival keynote address and all 1,500 participants got to see a professional production of Hairspray! at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center.  We premiered new titles Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR., Disney’s High School Musical JR., Captain Louie JR. and The Phantom Tollbooth JR.  In 2007, the festival went international with groups from Germany and Panama included in the nearly 1,300 participants. Festival highlights included a special guest appearance by Zac Efron and American Idol’s Michael Orland, plus the world premiere of Disney’s High School Musical on Stage! The 2005 festival involved over eight hundred participants and featured celebrity guest star Christy Carlson Romano and the world premiere of the Disney Collection of Musicals. The first Junior Theater Festival was held in January of 2003 at the Fabulous Fox Theater. Six hundred and fifty people attended the festival, which featured the premiers of Honk Junior, Dear Edwina Junior and Godspell Junior. Junior Theater Festival 2007