LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — March marks the fourth anniversary since the COVID-19 shutdown, a stretch many will never forget.
Four years after the nationwide shutdown, one Little Rock theater is taking back something the coronavirus took away. In the fine arts industry, shows are typical, no matter how long it takes to complete the setlist.
The Studio Theatre team is ready to feel that sense of normalcy with its Junie B. Jones, The Musical, a show that never made it past opening weekend because of the shutdown in 2020.
The original cast is now back for their encore four years later.
"I really wanted to revisit the musical and give this show a fair shake," The Studio Theatre Artistic Director Justin Pike Said. "There was so much confusion and disappointment."
In 2020, the spotlight dimmed at The Studio Theatre, as their sold-out shows of Junie B. Jones, The Musical, only made it to the stage for a few performances before everything stopped.
“We thought that it would just be a couple of days," Pike said. "Then we thought a couple of weeks, months, and that turned into two years."
Those two years quickly turned into four, and Pike is now bringing the musical back to life with the same young actors from the 2020 cast, like Jenna Thaxton.
"I was a part of the original cast in 2020 when I was in the sixth grade," Thaxton said. "One of the hardest parts of the 2020 show was figuring out that it was done a lot faster than I anticipated."
Thaxton was only a kid when she was initially cast, but she is now a sophomore in high school and set to lead the musical as Junie B. Jones herself.
"I'm starting to do things I didn't do last time," Thaxton said. "I'm making different acting choices now that I didn't make back then."
Pike has noticed the growth in all the actors' talent.
"They're so creative," Pike said. I think now they really appreciate the material and the experience."
It’s an experience that Thaxton and her co-stars are soaking in before they take their final bow ahead of their last curtain call, which Pike notices as a defining moment for all involved.
“This was a show that really held a lot of weight and nostalgia for those kids," Pike said. "To perform this again and have a second chance... that's rare."
The team has rehearsed since January 2024, but their musical will soon be finished. The Studio Theatre has matinee performances on March 9 and 10 at 2:30 p.m.
Click here for tickets.