ZACH’s Munchkins Get a Gig from the Wizard
Several local Munchkins have been cast in the upcoming Broadway Across America production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Directed by
ZACH's Munchkins
Jaclyn Loewenstein, these local Munchkins are 9 to 13 year old students from the Pre-Professional Musical Theatre Program at ZACH’s Performing Arts School:
- Munchkin Officials: Kate Brimmer, Ben Fletcher, Matthew Moore, Rubina Singh
- Munchkin Band: Emma Loewenstein, Sophie Poole, Kelly Scalpati, Olivia Schuh
- Lullaby Girls: Anna McGuire, Alia Vinson
- Lollipop Boys: Keaton Brandt, Wiley Fletcher
They also play the Witch’s Winkies in the 2nd Act!
Over the past four years, they have performed in many ZACH family musicals, including Everything About a Day (Almost), Call It Courage, Willy Wonka and Golly Gee Whiz! (with Tony nominee David Bologna.) Many of the Munchkins also appeared on ZACH’s mainstage in Caroline, or Change and Our Town. They also study dance and voice with ZACH instructor Adam Roberts.
Jaclyn Loewenstein (Austin’s Munchkin Director) has been actively developing ZACH’s Pre-Professional Musical Theatre Training Program since 2005. For her first ZACH Family Musical, The People Garden, she was awarded the 2006 B. Iden Payne Award for Direction. Since then, Jaclyn has directed talented Austin youth in: Wanda’s World, Everything About a Day (Almost), Willy Wonka Jr., Golly Gee Whiz!, Dear Edwina, The ZACH Showstoppers and many more. For the past 19 years, she has worked as an acting teacher, director and audition coach for a variety of institutions, including The Children’s Acting Academy in NYC and the Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, IL. In NYC, Jaclyn was a casting assistant for numerous long-running Broadway musicals, including Chicago, Cats and Les Miserables, and she assisted director James Lapine on The Diary of Anne Frank, starring Natalie Portman. Jaclyn holds a BA in Journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MFA in Directing from Illinois State University.