By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Chilton County High School Theatre Arts Guild will perform Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” on May 10-11 at 7 p.m. nightly.

Tickets are $5 at the door.

This production will be the group’s very first musical.

Chilton County High School Theatre Arts Guild is under the direction of CCHS teacher Kay Tippett.

Student director Tanner Staggs said selection was a group decision.

Many students had wanted to do a musical in years past. Staggs said Tippett had several titles for review.

Many of the students mentioned that they would enjoy doing “Aladdin Jr.”

The play is a shortened version, since the full-length production is on Broadway and no one else can have the performance rights until it ends.

“We did a little bit of research, and the sets aren’t crazy elaborate … we thought it would be a really good fit,” Staggs said.

The cost for production rights to perform the play were higher than most of the group’s previous performances, but Staggs said the group “has been doing little things throughout the year and we’re steady now” to still have funds in the budget.

Students auditioned for their parts before a panel of community judges. Staggs said some of these were from the University of Montevallo. Judges scored students during the audition and made recommendations.

Tony To will play Aladdin. Austin Lucas will play the Genie. Ellie Robinson will play Jasmine. Jeffrey Buchanan will play Jafar.

Several students will be playing various townspeople and dancers.

Because of the need for additional cast members, auditions were open to all students at the school, not just Guild members.

Staggs said he has enjoyed developing relationships with the students involved.

Singing and choreography was a new element for the group, meaning more practices and rehearsals than previous productions. Staggs said scheduling these practices around students’ other activities was a challenge

All of the songs are shorter versions of those presented in the animated classic.