Missoula Children's Theatre

“They’ve been working their little heads off,” said Jim Caron, founder of the Missoula Children’s Theater, the parent organization of Next Step Prep. “To see the change in some of these kids in terms of their skills … ”

Caron trails off. There are no words to describe it.

From San Diego,
California, to Sigonella,
Italy, MCT is in the
Navy now, visiting more
than 20 installations
during Summer 2009.

"What a great segment this evening on Missoula Children’s Theatre. MCT has touched our grandson and classmates in rural Salmon, Idaho. (Pop-3,000) They have provided an enriching experience like no other and we applaud them deeply. Thanks!" Bob Knoll

"The final product… always
includes young students who
have ‘dramatically’ blossomed
personally, emotionally and
socially!"

Jim Caron and the Missoula Children’s Theater “develops self-esteem, leadership and a sense of community” in thousands of children across the world every year.

The program needs at least 30 students, or it will have to be canceled this year and put off until the summer of 2010, said Caron, who said he overestimated the impact of MCT’s name recognition and was also slow to advertise the program.

Martin Charnin (author of Annie, the musical), J.K. Simmons (Juno, Spiderman Trilogy, ABC’s The Closer), Bill Bowers (Under a Montana Moon, Scarlet Pimpernel and The Lion King on Broadway), Alexander Gemignani (Les Miserables and Sweeney Todd on Broadway) and Alan Campbell (Sunset Boulevard Tony Award winner) among others are secured as seminar leaders for the inaugural summer.

Attendees will be offered classes in Acting, Singing, Dancing and other performance areas, eight hours a day, five days a week from June 22 to August 7, 2009. These students will receive two full-year fine arts credits to be transferred on to their local High School transcripts.

“The cutest thing in the history of cuteness…a joyful portrait!”
– Nathan Lee, The New York Times

The Missoula Children’s Theatre has been bringing full-scale musical productions via their famous “little red trucks” to more than 1,200 communities annually for more than 30 years.