HASTINGS — Hastings Community Theatre will present “Disney’s The Lion King JR” for two weekends starting Friday, July 21.
The 60-minute musical, designed for performers 18 years and younger, is based on the Broadway production and the 1994 Disney film. The HCT KIDS cast contains approximately 65 students led by a team of directors: Berice Rosenberg, Colin Sandall, Morwenna Limper, Audrey Weeks and Katrina Tubbs.
“Lion King JR” tells the story of the epic adventures of a curious cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destiny as king. Along the way, the young lion encounters a colorful cast of characters including spunky lioness Nala, charismatic meerkat Timon, and loveable warthog Pumbaa.
To claim his rightful place on the throne and save his beloved Pridelands, Simba must find his inner strength and confront his wicked Uncle Scar. The musical features classic songs from the 1994 film such as “Hakuna Matata” and the Academy Award-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” as well as additional songs penned for the Broadway production.
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The cast is filled with both HCT KIDS veterans and newcomers. Auditions were in late May and had more than 80 kids sing, dance and act their way into the cast. Because of such a great turnout, the cast was divided with Cast A performing the first weekend and Cast B taking over for the second weekend. Each weekend features a cast of more than 60 students.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 21-23 and July 28-30, at the Hastings Community Theatre, 515 S. Fourth Ave., Hastings (inside Good Samaritan Village).
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids ages 5-11; children 4 and younger admitted for free. Order online at www.hctheatre.org.
GILT plans annual awards night
Grand Island Little Theatre will host its annual Appreciation and Awards Night on Saturday, July 22, at College Park. Social hour starts at 6 p.m. with the annual meeting at 7 and the awards presentation at 8.
Ballots for the people’s favorites for the 2022-2023 season have been mailed to season ticket holders, advertisers and volunteers/working members. If you volunteered, were a part of a cast and crew, bought a season ticket, or advertised in the program and did not receive a ballot, please call the Grand Island Little Theatre box office 308-382-2586 or 308-379-2015. People receiving ballots and voting must be 16 and older.
Cost for the evening is $5 per person. Please RSVP by calling box office.
Gaming group to host Scrabble night
Scrabble Game Night is set for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, July 17, at Primrose Assisted Living, Capital Avenue and North Road.
The group usually meets the third Monday of each month in the Pub on the second floor at Primrose. All Scrabble players are welcome; bring a board if you have one. There is no registration required and there is no fee to play. For more information, call La Vonne Catron at 308-382-2663.
This weekend at the Grand …
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” id showing this weekend at the Grand Theatre, 316 W. Third St. Showtimes are 7:15 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
A special preview is planned for 7:15 p.m. Thursday.
Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than the mission — not even the lives of those he cares about most.
This film is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some language and suggestive material. Running time is two hours and 43 minutes.
Admission is $5 for adults, and $4 children and seniors. For more information, call 308-381-2667 or visit grandmovietheatre.com.
Arts and entertainment briefs are published every Thursday in The Independent. To submit announcements, submit to Terri Hahn at terri.hahn@theindependent.com at least two weeks prior to the event. No information will be accepted over the phone. There is no charge for publication, but announcements must follow newspaper style and policy.