This fall N3 Music & Theater Club for teens was launched to offer opportunities for local youth to learn and perform, as well as travel to see live theater performances in the region. Additionally, on Thursday, Nov. 14, N3 will host Open Mic Night for ages 7 and older.
“We hope this will give all those who are interested in the club, but unable to take part, a chance to get out on stage,” N3 representatives said in a news release.
Representatives said Open Mic Night is ideal for singers, musicians, poets and storytellers, in groups or by solo. From the voices heard belting out all the words to “Let it Go” at a school dance to the brilliant deliveries in “12 Angry Jurors,” plus poetry gracing the pages of the San Miguel Current magazine, N3 representatives know there are young people in Norwood, Nucla and Naturita worth hearing. Teens are invited to sign-up online (form.jotform.com/242949018877169) or contact N3 officials Brock Benson or Liza Tanguay.
For Open Mic Night, beginning at 6:30 p.m., up to 10 performers aged 7 to 18 will get on stage. Not to discount the valuable talents of local adults, four spots for those ages 19 and older are available, each for a maximum five minutes. After those prepared pieces, audience members will have a chance to give it a shot with some karaoke.
The N3 Music & Theater Club came about when Brock Benson, of Naturita, and Brendan Forrest, of Norwood, simultaneously approached members of the Norwood Park and Recreation District (NPRD) with a wish to create a space to share their passion for theater and music. Having worked with students in local public schools, they saw many with talent, wanting to do more. Both men believe in the value of making music and drama a part of young people’s lives, and NPRD believes in the value of such creative recreational outlets, no matter what age, supporting health and wellness throughout life.
At the start of the fall N3 series, five teens signed up. Forrest began meeting with them in late September, introducing music basics, theory and practice techniques. On Oct. 4, the group attended the High School Performing Arts Festival held at the Colorado Mesa University campus in Grand Junction. Following a day of workshops and a competitive final presentation, the club members and chaperones stayed for the live theater performance of “Amadeus” at CMU’s new Asteria Theater.
The winter series of meetings, directed by Benson beginning Jan. 14, will be all about theater, preparing and rehearsing a full production, with shows currently scheduled for March 13-15.
To open up N3’s upcoming performance for both middle and high school ages, there will be auditions on Friday, Dec. 13, in the morning in Norwood, and in the afternoon for Nucla. To support this, free audition workshops are being offered the week prior.
Additionally, upcoming N3 field trips to see shows at CMU could include “No Exit” (Feb. 15), “Ride the Cyclone” (Feb. 27 to March 8), and/or “The 39 Steps” (April 24-26). All field trips are funded by N3.
The costs for the N3 Music & Theater Club are covered, in part, by grants from Just For Kids Foundation and the Lone Cone Legacy Trust, as well as funding through Wide Sky Arts Collective, a subcommittee of NPRD, plus multiple generous donations from citizens of the West End (past and present) who want to see theater kept alive.
For more information, those interested should email play@norwoodparkandrec.org.
