DANBURY — Three classic Broadway style musical productions — A Chorus Line, Into The Woods, and Annie Jr — will be presented by performing arts students from the greater Danbury area at Western Connecticut State University’s Visual and Performing Arts Center August 1-4. The performers are students of the Sabrina’s Encore Productions (SEP), based in Newtown.

A Chorus Line became a huge hit on Broadway in the 1970s. It follows an eclectic group of performers through the rigorous audition process for a Broadway show and invites the audience in to their compelling, complicated background stories through dramatic dialogue, song, and dance.

Into The Woods is a fairy tale featuring characters from Little Red Riding Hood, Jack & The Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Cinderella, who come in contact with a childless Baker and his wife on their journey to encounter a witch who has cast a spell on them. It debuted on Broadway in 1987.

Annie Jr is the beloved story of plucky orphan Annie and her road from the orphanage under the horrible Miss Hannigan to the mansion and heart of Daddy Warbucks. Her interactions with fellow orphans, her beloved dog Sandy, and the staff at the Warbucks mansion tug at the heartstrings and give everyone hope for tomorrow.

All three shows follow the characters on journeys that are filled with transformational encounters.

Rehearsals have been underway since March; the talented casts of each show are working hard under the professional guidance of Sabrina Post, director and founder of SEP, and choreographer Lisa Minelli to provide top quality performances which have become the benchmark of SEP. Many SEP students go on to study theater in college and have made careers in the field.

“We depend on the community support in order to continue this great educational program; it gives students a unique opportunity to be a part of the arts and lay the foundation of their futures. Theater builds confident, competent, and community-minded people,” said Mrs Post.

“The mission of Sabrina’s Encore Productions is to educate all students through direction and experience,” Mrs Post added. “Doing three separate shows for three age groups allows students to have more opportunities to perform, set goals to reach higher standards of performance, and develop confidence through performance.

“Show selection is a thorough process that involves careful consideration of the history of the musical and how it contrasts to previous shows so that actors get a range of exposure in musical theater, including drama, comedy, dance, staging, and the technical aspects of production,” she said.

Performance dates and times have been set as follows:

A Chorus Line — Thursday through Saturday, August 1-3, at 8:30 pm; and Sunday, August 4, at 8 pm;

Into The Woods — Thursday, August 1, at 5 pm; and Friday, August 2, at 5 pm; and

Annie Jr —Saturday August 3, at 2 pm; and Sunday, August 4, at 1 pm.

Tickets are available through eventbrite.com and sabrinasencoreproductions.com. They will also be available at the box office of the Mainstage Theater, located at 43 Lake Avenue in Danbury (WCSU’s westside campus).

For more information send e-mail to [naviga:u]sabrina@sabrinaencoreproductions.com[/naviga:u] or call 203-856-4007