This winter, Hampton Roads Academy’s Middle School performing arts students will lean into laughter, song, and creative collaboration in a mainstage production of Madagascar Jr.
A musical adventure based on the beloved 2005 DreamWorks animated feature, with a book by Kevin Del Aguila and music and lyrics by George Noriega and Joel Someillan, Madagascar Jr. follows a zebra, a lion, a hippopotamus, and a giraffe who escape from New York’s Central Park Zoo and embark on a wild journey to the titular African island. The musical will run for three shows, the evenings of Friday, February 6, and Saturday, February 7, at 7:00 pm and the afternoon of Sunday, February 8, at 2:00 pm.
The production represents a coordinated effort by students and faculty members as well as dedicated alumni and community partners. With a large cast of 38 students in Grades 5 through 8, the musical will feature performers from all four years of Middle School under the leadership of Director of Theatre Kate Goddin. Middle and Upper School choir director Marshall Severin will serve as music director, while Dance Works, run by Emma Mead and her daughters, 2025 HRA graduates Hannah and Sarah Mead, will work with Goddin on choreography. Fellow alumnus Jeff Stout ’15 will assist with set design, lighting, and sound, working closely with HRA’s technical theatre students to bring the stage to life with visual projections and a variety of props.
“This show is truly an ensemble piece,” Goodin said. “Theatre is all about collaboration, and storytelling requires many voices working together.”
With a familiar story and upbeat musical numbers—including Reel 2 Real’s “I Like to Move It,” an iconic track from the film—Madagascar Jr. promises to provide spirit-lifting entertainment for all ages, as well as an unforgettable theatrical experience for every student on stage.
A Celebration of Friendship for the Whole Community
According to Goddin, her goal in setting out to stage Madagascar Jr. was to make the production “a community event.” Whereas the upcoming Upper School play She Kills Monsters, as well as last fall’s one-act musical The Anxiety Project, tackle mature subject matter that is not appropriate for younger audiences, Goddin explained, “this is one that the Lower, the Middle, and the Upper School students, families, everybody can attend. It’s joyful, it’s fun, and I think, in the winter months, it’s nice to have that.”
Moreover, the director noted, the central theme of Madagascar Jr., with its colorful collection of animal companions who help one another grow, is friendship. “That is always an important story to tell,” Goddin said, “especially for Middle School students, who are in the thick of trying to figure out who their friends are and what the groups are like.”
The four leads at rehearsal for Madagascar Jr. (left to right): Marty (Ady Heder ’30), Gloria (Bella Pacheco ’30), Alex (Amelia Bate ’30), and Melman (Kayla Pacheco ’30)
A spirit of friendship has run through the rehearsal process as well as the story unfolding on stage. The camaraderie has been palpable for eighth grader Ady Heder ’30, who just joined the Academy this school year and will be portraying Marty the zebra, famously voiced on screen by Chris Rock. “As a new student, landing a lead role in my first musical at HRA has made me feel incredibly welcomed and supported by everyone involved,” Heder said. “It’s been a great way to connect with new people and feel like I’m really part of the community.”
For fellow lead Amelia Bate ’30, stepping into Ben Stiller’s former role as Alex the Lion, the musical offers other important lessons—not easily learned in a classroom—for students soon to embark on their Upper School careers.
“It is exciting to take on a character like Alex who faces multiple conflicts,” said Bate, an eighth grader who previously starred in the 2024 Middle School musical Finding Nemo Jr., as well as last year’s Upper School production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. “The story starts with Alex’s best friend, Marty, wanting to run away and explore the world outside of the zoo they are confined in. Madagascar teaches the audience that change can be good, and you should push for it even if there are others who disagree.”
“It Reminds Me of Why I Do What I Do”
The humorous and musical exploration of these important themes would not be possible without a large cast of Middle Schoolers eager to take the stage.
“Every time I do a Middle School show, the thing that excites me the most is the joy of the students from the moment they begin the rehearsal process,” Goddin said. “That’s what brings me joy: seeing their joy and excitement.”
As the students prepare for Madagascar Jr., their enthusiasm is undeniable. Though the original film was released before even the eldest eligible performers were born, an incredible number turned out for auditions, leading to the largest Middle School cast Goddin has directed in her time at HRA.
The theatre director attributed much of the interest in her program to the work of Lower School music teacher Erika Caulford, who ensures that students gain experience on stage from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 4. “Those fifth graders are excited to be part of a show because they’ve done it every year,” Goddin said.
Younger students are deeply appreciative of the opportunity to perform alongside their more experienced eighth-grade peers. Seventh grader Marin Mazzurco ’31, cast as her favorite Madagascar character, the slick penguin leader Skipper, remarked that she is “honored that they would trust me with such a role.” Every afternoon she spends in the auditorium with her castmates, staging the show and wearing “silly costumes,” she said, has become a personal highlight of the winter theatre season.
The eighth graders wholeheartedly agree. As she gears up for her final Middle School production, Bate said, “I am looking forward to working with students from all four years in Middle School because I don’t typically spend time with so many age groups.”
“I love getting to work with such a talented cast,” Heder added.
Such excitement among Middle School performers, Goddin explained, is the foundation of a thriving theatre program in the Upper School. As she recalled, “I tell my students all the time, ‘If I can get you on stage one time, you’re never gonna want to leave the stage again.’ And I’ve seen it happen over and over. I’ve had students come to me and say, ‘You were right. I want to do it again and again.’”
“It reminds me of why I do what I do,” she said.
Tickets for Madagascar Jr. are available now.
Madagascar – A Musical Adventure Jr. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIshows.com
