How I Choose the Perfect Show for My Theatre Kids

Every season, without fail, someone asks me the same question: "How do you pick the shows?" And every season, I give them a version of the same answer — it's part math, part gut feeling, and part knowing my performers better than they know themselves yet.

There's a whole process behind those show announcements, so I thought I'd pull back the curtain (pun very much intended) and walk you through exactly how I land on the "yes, THIS is our next show" moment.

First: How Many Kiddos Are We Working With?

This is the very first thing I look at, and honestly, it changes everything. I've done shows with sixteen performers and shows with thirty-two — and let me tell you, that's not a small difference. That's basically two different productions. The size of my cast shapes what shows are even on the table, because I need enough roles (and enough good roles) for everyone involved.

Which brings me to my next big question…

What is your Timeline for your Kids Theatre show?

One of the things that is important to my shows are we make an easy commitment for families. We want kiddos to be able to learn and love musical theatre, but we know families are busy. Most of our shows we only rehearse one evening a week - which in the grand scheme of things is a little crazy. Most school shows rehearse 4-5 times a week after school. What we do is unique & we know what kind of timeline we need.

This is important when sharing the opportunity for the kids and important to the show I pick.

Why I Love JR Shows

If you've looked at our show kids theatre show history, you'll notice a lot of JR productions in there — and that's totally intentional. JR shows condense the music and storyline down, so you still get all the same incredible moments from the original, just in a timeline we can actually pull off. That's huge for me. I can give my performers the full magic of a show like Shrek or Lion King without needing a rehearsal schedule that would burn everyone out.

Here are the websites I use:

Musical Theatre International - https://www.mtishows.com/broadway-junior/shows

Concord Theatricals - https://www.concordtheatricals.com/perform/catalog?refinementList%5BCategories.CategoryId%5D%5B0%5D=2811

Theatrical Rights - https://www.theatricalrights.com/shows/?show_type%5B%5D=Musical&category%5B%5D=young-part&display_order=alpha

Know What Your Performers Can Handle (And Start Small)

This is something I wish someone had told me when I was starting out: know what your cast can actually handle. It's so tempting to reach for the big, flashy show — but if your timeline doesn't support it & the performers won't feel ready, you're setting everyone up for a rough time instead of a good one.

I'll be honest with you — my very first show had ten kids playing multiple parts, because I was determined to do that particular show rather than actually looking at what I had in front of me. It worked out in the end, but looking back, I put a lot more pressure on myself and on those kids than I needed to. Start small. Build from there. You'll get to the big, sprawling productions eventually — and when you do, you'll have the experience (and the cast size) to actually pull them off.

Are We Double Casting?

Double casting means giving the same role to two different performers, who each get their own show (or shows) to shine in. I'm a huge believer in this — it's such a great experience for young performers, and I've actually written a whole post on the benefits of double casting if you want to dig into why I love it so much. [LINK HERE]

Whether or not I'm double casting a show directly affects how many characters I need and how meaty those roles have to be. It's one of the very first puzzle pieces I sort out.

Lots of Characters, Lots of Opportunity

I always look for shows with lots and lots of fun, different characters. I want my performers to have all kinds of opportunities available to them — because not every kid wants the same thing out of a role, and that's exactly the point.

That's actually why I sit down with my cast and ask them directly: what kind of role are you looking for? Do you want to play in the village, or do you want to be the hero? Are you hoping for something big, or would you rather have a smaller role this time around? Having a kiddo excited about the role before they're even cast makes the whole experience better for everyone — the performer, the rest of the cast, and me.

I Try to Steer Clear of Love Stories

This one's tricky, because SO many of our beloved musicals have a love story baked right in. But I've found that with younger kids — and honestly, teens too — adding that romantic component can feel awkward. They're not always sure what to do with it, and it can pull focus from what I actually want them focused on: the joy of performing. So when I'm reading through scripts, this is always something I'm weighing.

And Yes… I Love a Show They Already Know

There's something so fun about handing a kid a character they already know and love. We've done Lion King, Shrek, and so many more — and there's an instant thrill that happens when kids realize they get to bring a familiar favourite to life on our stage.

When kiddos already know a show, they've got instant buy-in. They're excited before we've even had our first rehearsal, because they already love the story and the characters. And that excitement doesn't stop with the cast — it carries right into the audience too. Some of our most popular shows have been the ones where the audience is singing along and loving every single moment right alongside the kids on stage.

But here's what I always remind my cast: just because it's a show people have seen and heard before doesn't mean OUR version is going to look like anything they've seen before. This is going to be different — because we're different. We're unique. So throughout the process, we're always finding moments and pieces that are going to be unlike anything the audience has experienced with this story before.

At the end of the day, choosing a show isn't just about what looks good on a poster. It's about my cast size, the opportunities inside the story, and making sure every single kid walks away feeling like they got to play a role that was actually right for them.

If you're curious about what we've got coming up — or want to see what double casting looks like in action — check out what we've got going on at Centre Stage Kids!

P.S. Want to read more about why I love double casting so much? Keep an eye out for that link above — it's one of my favourite posts to share with theatre parents.