‘The Rising Star Project’ Shows How Musicals And Mentoring Can Change Lives
IndieWire Staff
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Tweetable Logline: Documentary following 100 high school students who put on a million dollar musical in Seattle’s 5th Ave Theatre and how mentoring changes their lives
Elevator Pitch: This documentary’s about our flagship educational program, the Rising Star Project, during which over 100 high school students put up a professional quality musical on our 2000-seat mainstage after an intensive mentorship process with our professional staff. Students take on every role: On stage. Backstage. In the orchestra. In the costume shop. Calling the show. Marketing. Development. And even producing. So students come away with critical life skills for their future success in whatever field they go into. We hope to inspire other theatres to use the Rising Star Project as a template for educational programs of their own.
Production Team:
Director: Virginia Bogert
Producer: Susan LaSalle
Director of Photography: Lars Larson
Executive Producers: David Armstrong, Bernadine Griffin, Bill Berry
About the Film: We’ve worked hard at the 5th Avenue Theatre to create the kind of dream program we wish we had when we were younger. It was hard to convince working professionals to mentor these kids at first, but once they did it, they realized how much they would get out of it as much as the kids. We’re making the documentary to capture that an share it with the world. This isn’t about arts education, this is about making responsible adults who will be an extraordinary contribution to the world. And we want others to be inspired by what we’re doing.
Current Status: In production right now.
