International All-Stars, January 2025

In a world-first collaboration, students from Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada have united as the International All-Stars, an ensemble that showcases the power of musical theatre to transcend borders. The programme, created in partnership between Music Theatre International (MTI) and Travel Gang, brings together young performers who auditioned to secure their place. These students—some of the best “triple threats” in the world— met for the first time in New York City where they began working with professional directors, choreographers, and music directors. Leading the group is renowned UK-based theatre director Lotte Wakeham, who brings unparalleled experience to the program. Lotte was the associate director for the original West End and Broadway productions of Matilda the Musical and is currently the Artistic Director of the Octagon Theatre Bolton in the UK. MTI London's Director of Operations, Education and Development, Ryan Macaulay, acted as Musical Director for the piece while Scott Morris was Choreographer. As part of their New York experience, the International All-Stars presented a preview performance of Between the Lines JR. at the renowned Ripley Grier Studios, performing for industry VIPs, including New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult, who co-wrote the musical with Timothy Allen McDonald. The group then went on to present their work at the annual Junior Theater Festival (JTF) in Atlanta, the largest celebration of young people in musical theatre. At JTF Atlanta, the International All-Stars took centre stage as a featured main-stage performance, showcasing their work for an audience of over 8,000 festival attendees.