“Junie B. Jones: The Musical" at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts -- October 10 through 12.
Friday, October 10, through Sunday, October 12
Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth Street, Coralville IA
Praised by DC Theater Arts as "a genuine joy to watch," the family entertainment Junie B. Jones: The Musical enjoys an October 10 through 12 run at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, the DC Theater Arts adding that the characters in this Barbara Park adaptation "say the silliest things and die on the hills of the most meaningless opinions, and in doing so, bring genuine belly laughs to the adults in the room."
In Junie B. Jones: The Musical, America’s favorite elementary-school student comes to life onstage in this tune-filled riot based on three books in Park’s popular book series of the same name. With their show created by Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, the team that brought audiences Dear Edwina, Junie B. is entering her first day of first grade, and a lot of things have changed for her. Junie's friend Lucille doesn't want to be her best pal anymore. On the bus, our young heroine makes friends with Herb, the new kid at school. Also, Junie has trouble reading the blackboard and her teacher, Mr. Scary, thinks she may need glasses. Throw in a friendly cafeteria lady, a kickball tournament and a "Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal," and first grade has never been more exciting. Though written as a piece of theatre for young audiences, Junie B. Jones: The Musical is fun for the entire family and highlights the timeless themes of friendship, acceptance, and humility.
Since the original book was published by Random House in 1992, a total of 31 Junie B. Jones titles have been published, with 28 of them stories that take place in the Junie B. Jones series, and three of them activity books titled Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide, Top-Secret Personal Beeswax: A Journal by Junie B. (and me!), and Junie B.'s These Puzzles Hurt My Brain! Book. Several box sets, multiple book bind-ups, and a Valentine's Day card collection have also been released, between 1992 and 2013, and the series has been translated into Spanish, Italian, and French.
The show's Coralville production is being presented by Footliters Imagination Studio (FIS), designed to create extraordinary professional theatre experiences to challenge, educate, empower, and inspire young people in their schools and communities. FIS’s first performance was in 2024, when they brought Charlotte’s Web to the CCPA stage, and FIS events are tailored in length, language, and content for young audience members. In addition to public performances, Footliters Imagination Studio provides school matinees, both at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts as well as on-site at schools in gyms and cafeterias. Young Footliters is committed to removing barriers to access by bringing theatre experiences directly to students. Productions are targeted to specific grade levels to optimize the student experience and provide age-appropriate resources to teachers for post-show classroom discussions.
Featured in the Junie B. Jones: The Musical cast are Hannah Brewer as the title characters, with the ensemble completed by: Indica Mutchler as Lucille; Jacob Kilburg as Herb; Keegan Colletta Huckfeldt as Sheldon; Katie Colletta as May and Mother; and Sam O'Brien as Mr. Scary, Daddy, and the Bus Driver. Junie fans are also invited to meet at the Coralville Public Library (1401 Fifth Street) between performances on Saturday, October 11 for a Junie B. Jones-themed Scavenger Hunt. Stop at the Children’s Desk between 11:15 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to get a game card, find the items, crack the code, and earn a prize.
Junie B. Jones: The Musical will be staged at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts October 10 through 12, with performances on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. There will also be a sensory-friendly version of Junie B. on Saturday at 10 p.m. Sensory-friendly performances are designed to provide an accessible and comfortable theatre experience for people with autism, sensory sensitivities, and other social, learning, or cognitive disabilities. During these performances, audiences can expect house lighting to remain at a low level during the performance, lower sound levels, freedom to talk and leave seats during the show, designated quiet areas outside the theatre space, and space throughout the theatre for standing and movement.
Admission to the shows is $10-15 and includes a pre-show craft, a meet-and-greet with the actors after the show, and a take-home activity packet for kids and guardians. For more information and tickets, call (319)248-9370 and visit CoralvilleArts.org.
