BLOOMSBURG – According to a press release, the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, in partnership with the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, has invited high school students from across the region to audition for Student Spotlight, a public showcase and musical theater intensive designed to celebrate and elevate the next generation of performers.

Student Spotlight will feature special guest Broadway artist Kerry Butler, alongside a team of professional teaching artists, offering selected students a unique opportunity to train and perform at a professional level on the Alvina Krause Theatre stage.

The program will feature 20 of the region’s most dedicated high school musical theater performers from 12 area high schools — Bloomsburg, Central Columbia, Berwick, Southern Columbia, Loyalsock Township, Benton, Williamsport, Montoursville, Mt. Carmel, Lewisburg, Bellefonte, and Blue Mountain. These students will participate in an immersive experience that includes two culminating public performances on May 14-15.

Audiences will see students perform a selection from their high school musical, a song of their own choice along with a special appearance each evening with Butler. Selections from the evening will feature a live house band under the direction of Catie Brown. The event is produced by Jared Whitford.

Student Participants include: Addison Wynkoop (Bellefonte), Emma Roose (Bellefonte), Zane Hayman (Benton), Emma Berekes (Berwick), Julius Zerbe (Bloomsburg), Caroline Decker (Bloomsburg), Ivan Troychock (Bloomsburg), Logan Foster (Blue Mountain), Jace Traugh (Central Columbia), Taryn Davenport (Central Columbia), Aiden Mahamadou (Central Columbia), Ceili Kisvarday (Lewisburg), Hannah Bastian (Loyalsock Township), Morgan Hersh (Loyalsock Township), Kristen Dinges (Montoursville), Christian Berwanger (Mountoursville), Isabella DiTito (Mt. Carmel), Angela Canavan (Mt. Carmel), Alaisa Gaines (Southern Columbia) and Caydence Decker (Williamsport).

Key Personnel

Jared Whitford (Producer)

Jared Whitford is a multifaceted theatre artist whose work spans directing, design, and performance. A respected figure in the regional arts community, he most recently directed the world premiere of the musical “STOA” at Lycoming College in Williamsport.

He currently serves as the Director of Theater at South Williamsport Area School District, where he leads a dynamic and growing K-12 program, and as a producer for the BTE/CMVB Presented Event Series. He is also the Founder and former Artistic Director of Studio 570, a boutique theatre company dedicated to new works and reimagined classics.

Throughout his career, Whitford has collaborated with organizations including Millbrook Playhouse, the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, Interlakes Summer Theatre, and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, among others. He also serves on Governor Josh Shapiro’s Advisory Commission on LGBTQ Affairs.

Catie Brown (Music Director)

Catie Brown is a music director, accompanist, educator, and vocal coach based in Pittsburgh. She serves as a staff accompanist and Music Director at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, and as a vocal instructor for the School of Drama’s Pre-College Program.

An in-demand collaborator across the region, Brown has worked with Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Public Theater, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, R.W.S. and Associates, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, and St. Vincent Summer Theatre, as well as several Broadway National Tour companies.

Known for her dynamic and supportive approach to musical theatre training, Brown specializes in vocal technique, storytelling through song, and developing confident, versatile performers.

Kerry Butler (Special Guest Artist)

Kerry Butler is a Tony Award-nominated Broadway actress known for her work in “Beetlejuice,” “Mean Girls,” “Xanadu,” “Hairspray,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” With a career spanning decades on Broadway and beyond, Butler is celebrated for her comedic timing, vocal power, and dynamic stage presence. She has also appeared in film and television and is a sought-after educator and masterclass instructor, working with young performers across the country.