RAHWAY, NJ – Most teenagers daydream about singing or dancing on a stage before a live audience. That dream becomes reality for Union County middle and high school students on Wednesday, May 16th at 7 p.m. when they perform at the Union County Performing Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street, in Rahway’s downtown arts district.
Jazz combos, vocal groups, pianists, dancers and theater performers were selected from among the 4,000 students who participated at the 2012 Teen Arts Festival at Union County College in Cranford in March. The annual Festival is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and coordinated by the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Community Renewal.
“The Festival is a wonderful opportunity for students to interact with professional artists while sharing their own talents with students from other schools,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Students appearing in the Showcase at UCPAC represent all arts disciplines and the municipalities that participated in the 2012 Festival.”
The Teen Arts Showcase on May 16th is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Performing Arts Center. Teachers, fellow students, friends and family members of participating students are invited to attend the Showcase along with the general public. Admission is free.
The annual Teen Arts Festival is a two-day celebration of the arts where students and a staff of 50 professional artists participate in performances, critiquing seminars, master classes and workshops in every discipline – visual arts, music, creative writing, theater, media arts and dance. The Festival’s focus is not on competition but an opportunity for students to develop perceptual, intellectual and technical skills; gain cultural awareness and understanding; develop personal, aesthetic values; and learn self-discipline, critical thinking and problem solving through analyzing, interpreting and making judgments.
The historic Union County Performing Arts Center, formerly known as the Rahway Theatre, opened in 1928 as a classic vaudeville/movie showplace. In 1984, the theatre was saved by a dedicated group of volunteers, and in 1985 it became the Union County Arts Center. The theatre, which features live performances, seats more than 1,300 people.
For more information about the Teen Arts Showcase and the annual Teen Arts Festival, contact the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, 633 Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202. 908-558-2550. NJ Relay Users dial 711. Or email: Culturalinfo@ucnj.org.