Arcadians kids shine in front of Broadway judges
A 15-minute burst of song and dance gained an extraordinary score
Youngsters from Arcadians Children’s Theatre (ACT) have starred at the 2026 Australian Junior Theatre Festival in Newcastle held last weekend.
Their 15-minute performance of Seussical Jr earned the group an extraordinary 203 out of a possible 206 points to win the outstanding vocals award at the prestigious national festival.
Among the judges were leading musical theatre professionals, including Broadway artists who were full of praise for the young Arcadians.
The 28 vocalists, aged eight to 16, were among a more than 1300 students, teachers and families from theatre programs across Australia who gathered for the annual festival.
Their performance impressed the judging panel, who praised the students’ vocal ability, storytelling, characterisation and commitment to tackling the musical’s challenging lyrics.
ACT director Rebecca Glover said the result was a moment of enormous pride for the students, families and production team.
“There was glowing feedback and to have our ACT kids recognised at this level, in front of leading industry professionals including Broadway artists is just incredible,” Rebecca said.
“When we found out the children had scored 203 out of a possible 206 points for their performance, the pride and excitement among the whole group was just overwhelming.
“They have worked so hard, thrown themselves into every challenge and supported each other every step of the way. To see their dedication recognised with a national award is something we will remember for a long time.”
Musical director Amy Relf was also recognised for her work with the young cast, as was the choreography of Rachael King, supported by Natalie Bazun-Coates and Katie Fist.
“The children left the stage very happy, and some of the stand performances were noted, specifically Viviana Aguilera’s performance as Sour Kangaroo and Amelia Walsh’s acting throughout the piece,” Rebecca said.
Capping off a remarkable event for the Arcadians kids, eight of the young performers auditioned for an all-stars Australian junior theatre festival team.
Rebecca said she’s “pleased and proud” to report that all eight were successful. Belle and Eamon Green, and Sophia Janeski will be part of team heading to the United States to perform at Atlanta in January 2028.
In addition, Harper Pearce, Madison Whiteside, Rohan Green, Serena Ruscoca and Viviana Aguilera will be part of a team heading to Europe to perform in May 2028.
Rebecca said for Arcadians Children’s Theatre, the experience was about far more than awards, with the students embracing the opportunity to challenge themselves, learn from industry professionals and celebrate the achievements of young performers from across the country.
