The Cherry Street Players return to the stage with this adaptation of The Emmy Award-winning Saturday morning educational cartoon series and pop culture phenomenon. Schoolhouse Rock Live! JR follows Tom, a young school teacher, who is nervous about his first day of teaching. He tries to relax by watching TV, when various characters representing facets of his personality emerge from the set and show him how to win his students over with imagination and music. Memorable songs such as "Just a Bill," "Interplanet Janet" and "Conjunction Junction" bring his lesson plans vividly to life.

Cast and Crew

Tammy
Blakesley Schlieffarth
(understudy Kaydin O'Toole)

Georges & Georginas
Elias "Pineapple" Briggs
("I'm Just a Bill" Uranus)
Oliver Klapperich
("Three is a Magic Number", Neptune)
Ellie Koenig (Venus)
Olive Lecy (Jupiter)
Kaydin O'Toole (Saturn)
Vienna Waby
("Three is a Magic Number", Dance Captain)

Dories
Marissa Fosberg
("A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing", Lady Liberty)
Catherine Haugo
("The Great American Melting Pot")
Sienna Karim ("Preamble")
Lydoux Meinhardt
("A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing")
Lilly Paepke
("A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing", Thomas Jefferson)
Ella Pfost
("A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing", Napoleon)
Solee Swank ("Preamble")
Isla Woodruff ("Elbow Room", Dance Captain)

Dinas & Deans
Adeline Briggs (Pluto)
Henry Olivier ("Interjections", Dance Captain)
Lindsay Plunkett
("Unpack Your Adjectives", Mars)

​Shulies
Adley Barnes
("Unpack Your Adjectives", Mercury)
Emerson Bennington (Comet Team)
Ellouise Calhoun (Comet Team)
Willa Lecy (Comet Team)
Alli Nielsen ("Interplanet Janet")
Emory Parrish ("Interplanet Janet", Janet)
Delaney White ("Interplanet Janet")

Joes & Jos
Gabriella Johnson
("The Great American Melting Pot")
Rocklon Kinsella ("Circulation")
Archer Miller ("Circulation")
Peyton Nelson ("Conjunction Junction")
Emilia Woodruff ("Conjunction Junction")

Production Team
Director: Merlyn Q. Sell
Music Director: Connie Hubbard
Set Designer: John Easton
Costume Designers: Jacque Sell & Jackie Mangnall
Choreography ("Interjections"): Dave DeChristopher

Since its inception in 1999, the Cherry Street Players has introduced over 350 young people ages 8-14 to the artistic and technical fundamentals of theater. Students  participate in classroom exercises and instruction that culminate in the rehearsal and performance of a fully staged production each semester. All participants get a chance to showcase what they’ve learned and experience the excitement of performing live for the community.

The spring semester usually runs January to April and the fall semester runs September to December. Contact us to be added to the mailing list and get notified of new education programs as they are announced.

If you would like to learn more or join the Cherry Street Players, please call 605-394-6191 or email merlyn@bhct.org. 
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Sponsored in part by the South Dakota Arts Council, the City of Rapid City, the Allied Arts Fund, Senator Stanford and Mrs. Lynda Adelstein and a special grant from the Morgan Stanley Foundation.