OPEN COMMUNITY THEATRE TO PRESENTED ITS MUSICAL PRODUCTION, ‘HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD,’ JULY 21 AND 22 AT CITY ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL IN SALT LAKE

Salt Lake City—Open Community Theatre, part of a Utah-based nonprofit organization geared toward helping middle- and high-school students express their creativity, presented a musical production, “Hooray for Hollywood,” July 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. at City Academy Charter School. City Academy Charter School is located at 555 E. 200 S. in Salt Lake City.

The performances were open to the public.  Tickets prices were $6 for adults and $4 for students.

“Hooray for Hollywood” is a musical revue celebrating movies and their songs.  Some of the songs performed included “Hooray for Hollywood” from “Hollywood Hotel,” “I’m a Believer,” from “Shrek,” “Pretty Woman” from “Pretty Woman,” “I Believe I Can Fly” from “Space Jam,” “Blaze of Glory” from “Young Guns II” and “Eye of the Tiger” from “Rocky III.”

Open Community Theatre held a five-week theater camp for students in grades 7 through 12.  The camp began in June and the “Hooray for Hollywood” performance marked the culmination of the summer program.  Twenty-five students participated in programs about musical theater, improv comedy, Shakespeare and technical theater.

The scripted musical revue was written by Open Community Theatre’s resident playwright, Kirby Saxton, age 18.  Saxton also starred in the show as the film director, Gerald Irving.  Other leads were Cade Denton (age 16) as the movie star, Roger, and Maille Rollo (age 15) as Mary Rogers, an actor plucked out of the background to become a movie star.

Prior to “Hooray for Hollywood,” Open Community Theatre’s improv comedy campers performed short-form improv on July 21 and long-form improv on July 22.  After the improv, the Shakespeare campers performed a short scene from “Richard III.”

Open Community Theatre is part of a new, non-profit after-school community theater education center known as Academy of Creativity.  City Academy Charter School hosts Academy of Creativity.

The Open Community Theatre summer camp was run by Gaby Saxton, director of Academy of Creativity and coordinator of City Academy’s after school learning extension program, and Will Saxton, volunteer assistant director of Academy of Creativity.