Five Eastern Bay girls selected for a Kiwi All-Stars trip to the US are having the time of their lives.

The performing arts students – Maia Patterson-Foster, Lily Isaac, Ruby Caves, Merryn Boyde and McKenzie Tidd – are part of a troupe representing New Zealand at the Junior Theatre Festival in the US.

Trace Tidd, principal of Stage Door Performing Arts Academy in Whakatāne, who is accompanying them in the US, messaged the Beacon on a “bus trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento and Disneyland” that it was going fantastically.

Merryn was super excited, adding: “The best thing has definitely been meeting everyone. Not only is everyone extremely talented, but also supportive. I’m so grateful I’ve met them because without them this trip wouldn’t have been as amazing as it was.”

Kenzie has also loved meeting everyone, “from the others in the Kiwi All Stars group, the people from other groups I got to talk to and see perform, the professionals I got to work with on Broadway”.

The two-week tour started on January 30, while some of the girls are staying on at the end  to do some travelling.

Whakatane’s Trish Marsden, who is well known on our stage, as well as parent Polly Jones-Morris are accompanying the group, while Kenzie’s sister Darcy is an enthusiastic supporter.

“We spent a week in New York City,” said Tidd. “We stayed right in Times Square – in the heart of the Broadway Theatre District. The troupe spent a full-on four days at Ripley-Grier Studios where they worked with Broadway professionals to put together a performance piece from Beetlejuice The Musical.”

The young musical theatre students also attended the three-day Junior Theatre Festival West alongside groups from South Korea and China.

Workshops, performances, and training sessions, as well as performing in front of a panel of adjudicators, have kept them super busy.

“Our five local girls did our rohe very proud. They performed amazingly alongside their Kiwi All Stars troupe. They performed a 15-minute set comprised of songs and scenes from Beetlejuice The Musical. It was a physical, energetic piece. They were fabulous. A slick, united, polished performance.”

Plus, they scored an award – a trophy for Excellence in Acting at the Kiwi All Stars awards ceremony.

In Disneyland, the troupe were looking forward to a workshop with Disneyland performers.

Tidd said a lot of fundraising went into getting the girls to the US.

“Our group has received so much encouragement and support from the local community and wishes to say an almighty thank you to everyone who has supported us in making this trip possible. It really has been an incredibly valuable, insightful, and life-changing experience.”