Calling all performing arts students!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Get ready for a summer full of singing, dancing, acting, and unforgettable performances! Our Summer Stages programs give kids and teens the chance to build confidence, develop stage skills, and express their creativity in a fun, supportive environment. From musical theatre and superhero adventures to a two-week, teen Broadway intensive, every camper will play, perform, and shine — culminating in a polished showcase for family, friends, and the community. Join us and let your young performer step into the spotlight this summer!
Summer Stages: Musical
Dates: June 1st– June 5th
Cost: $450
Ages: 9-13
Program Times: 8am-3pm
Performance Time: June 5th, 2:00pm Doors, 2:15pm Performance
Focus: Vocal Techniques, Dance Basics, Acting Basics, Musical Theatre, Improvisation, Public Speaking
Description: During this fun-filled week, campers will take a step into the explosive and highly popular world of Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Enchanted, and more!) through singing, dancing, and acting! Students will learn basic singing techniques, practice choreography, and bring characters to life on stage, all while building confidence and teamwork.
The week also includes theatre games, sing-alongs, lessons from guest artists, a karaoke pizza party, and more. By the end of camp, students will present a polished showcase for family and friends, giving every camper a chance to shine in the spotlight.
Summer Stages: Acting
Dates: June 8th – June 12th
Cost: $400
Ages: 9-13
Time: 8am-3pm
Performance Time: June 12th, 2:00pm Doors, 2:15pm Performance
Focus: Theatre Fundamentals, Improvisation, Character Development, Scene Study, Public Speaking
Description: Get ready to leap into action! This hands-on camp gives young performers the chance to explore acting, characterization, and stage presence through a hilarious one-act all about their favorite heroes. Watch as Superman runs into HR, She-Hulk struggles with her taxes, Elsa just wants a break from the paparazzi – bringing laughs, creativity, and teamwork to the stage.
Throughout the week, students will dive into improv games, scene study, and character work, building confidence and performance skills. By the end of camp, they’ll perform the fun, age-appropriate play provided by instructors for their parents and friends to enjoy — a perfect opportunity for campers to shine, express themselves, and embrace their inner hero!
Summer Stages: The Bijou Broadway Revue
Presented in Partnership with
Dates:
June 6th: Musical Audition Workshop *Optional Attendance – Time TBD
June 27th: Pre-Program Audition *Students will sign up for a designated one-hour call – Time TBD.
July 20th-24th, July 27th-31st: Bijou Broadway Revue Camp
July 31st: Public Performance
Cost: $750
Ages: 13-18
Time: 8am-3pm
Performance Time: July 31st, 6:30pm Doors, 7:30pm Performance
Focus: Advanced Vocal Techniques, Advanced Choreography, Dance Styles, Advanced Acting Techniques, Scene Study, Public Speaking, Stage Direction, Collaborative Creation, and College/Professional Audition Preparation
Important Note: This program is designed for experienced teen performers who are ready for a challenge. Students must arrive prepared with 16–32 bars of a musical theatre song (with a backing track) and a 60-second monologue for their audition. These will be used throughout the session for performance training and college prep work. Everyone will receive solos and lines in the performance, the “audition” will help the instructors assign parts and roles before the program begins.
Description: Step into history and take the stage at the Bijou Theatre with our two-week Bijou Broadway Revue intensive in partnership with Knoxville Opera. This isn’t just two weeks of rehearsal — every day is filled with lessons, activities, and games designed to build your skills, spark creativity, and boost confidence. You’ll train with theatre and opera professionals in everything from vocals and choreography to improv, comedy, and stage direction, while also preparing for real-world auditions through a workshop and mock college audition. Everyone gets an equal chance to shine, whether in a solo, group number, or specialty act.
The highlight of the program is creating something brand-new together: an original vaudeville-inspired variety show filled with skits, Broadway songs, dances and more! You and your peers will shape every part of the production and then perform it for friends, family, and the community in a one-night-only showcase on the historic Bijou stage. By the final curtain, you’ll have stretched your imagination, grown as a performer, and left your mark on a stage that has been home to artists for over a century.
Over two exciting weeks, you’ll:
- Train with the pros — Learn vocals, choreography, sketch comedy, improv, stage direction, and backstage skills with entertainment professionals.
- Play and experiment — Take part in creative games, warm-ups, and challenges that spark your imagination and build confidence.
- Learn audition skills — Participate in an audition workshop and a mock college audition for solos, group numbers, and specialty acts — everyone gets a fair chance to shine.
- Create a show from scratch — Join your peers in building an original, vaudeville-inspired variety show filled with music, theatre, and dance.
- Perform for the community — Step onto the historic Bijou Theatre stage for a one-night-only showcase open to friends, family, and the public.
By the end, you’ll have sharpened your skills, gained real audition experience, and left your mark on one of America’s oldest stages.
SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE – CLICK HERE TO APPLY
The Bijou Theatre is proud to offer five scholarships per program to help make our summer programs accessible to everyone. Scholarships will not be available to all who apply. The Summer Stages Programs and scholarship opportunities are made available thanks to generous funding.
What you need to know:
Children will need to bring a bagged lunch and a water bottle. Comfortable, movable clothing and shoes are required. Sandals, flip-flops, and gum are not allowed.
The Summer Stages: Musical and Acting camps will conclude with an exceptional performance for friends and family at the Bijou Theatre at 2 pm on the last day of camp. The Bijou Broadway Revue initiative will conclude with a public performance at 7:30pm.
Camp Rules & Guidelines:
Creating a safe and welcoming environment for our summer camp students is vital to our staff and instructors. Please read through these rules and guidelines thoroughly with your camper to ensure a positive experience for all:
- The theatre is a judgment-free zone. Bullying or disrespectful comments will not be tolerated and will result in immediate dismissal from the camp.
- Always listen to the instructors and camp directors. The Bijou Theatre is a historic building that houses many pieces of expensive equipment. Failure to listen to safety rules when given could result in broken equipment or personal injury.
- Learn from your classmates and respect their different ideas and opinions. In the performing arts world, there is a general rule that you should learn from all. No idea is too little, and all views should be respected.
- Wear appropriate clothing to camp. No sandals or flip-flops are allowed – closed-toed shoes only. Please make sure students wear outfits that are easy to move in.
- Respect instructors’ casting decisions and applaud fellow campers if they received coveted roles, dance solos, or vocal parts. Every camper will get a unique opportunity to shine.
- Attendance is crucial for camp! Each week focuses on an ambitious lesson plan that results in a public performance at the end of the week. One missed day can drastically impact the efforts of other campers.
- Come to camp with a positive attitude and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone. That activity that scares you the most just might become your favorite or biggest skill!
Meet the Summer Stages 2026 Program Director!
The Bijou’s General Manager, Nathan McGhee, will oversee the 2026 Summer Stages programs, bringing his extensive experience in theatre education and nonprofit program development.
McGhee has spent nearly two decades creating and leading educational initiatives across the region, from building youth programs from the ground up to creating after school initiatives to directing children’s theatre productions such as The Hobbit: The Musical, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Harriet Pohter the Musical, and more! He has also led camps, workshops, and arts education programs with local nonprofits and Knox County and Hamblen County Schools.
With a background both onstage—some favorite roles include Macbeth (Witch), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Brad), and Sweeney Todd (Tobias)—and behind the scenes, McGhee combines artistic insight with strategic leadership. He brings seven years of dance training, three years of vocal instruction, and numerous national acting titles in forensics, speech and debate, and storytelling competitions.
Throughout his career in the nonprofit world, McGhee has specialized in leading teams, designing impactful programs, and creating experiences that bring people together. For him, leadership is about showing up, setting a positive tone, and making programs that strengthen communities, inspire students, and leave a lasting impact.
Meet the Summer Stages 2026 Acting Instructor!
2026 marks 20 years of theatrical involvement for Faith Rader, whose most cherished onstage roles include: Ms. Honey (Matilda), Olive (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee), Puck (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Ensemble (American Idiot), Little Red (Into the Woods), and Viola (Twelfth Night). Behind the scenes, Faith has directed a litany of shows for youth performers including Madagascar, Jr., Frozen, Jr., The Addams Family, and The Little Mermaid, Jr., Faith is also an original member of the long-running improv comedy team Blue Plate Special, now entering its twelfth year of improvised shenanigans. Currently, Rader is keeping busy at Greeneville’s Capitol Theatre as head instructor of Centre Stage Theatre Camp, director for Capitol KIDS, and host and side coach for Drop-In Improv, a biweekly improv workshop open to anyone with the desire to try something new and quite silly. Faith is thrilled to be joining the Bijou as the acting instructor for Summer Stages 2026.
Meet the Summer Stages 2026 Dance Instructor!
Lisa Howard Smith is ecstatic to spend the summer with the talented students of the Knoxville area. She has been a substitute instructor the last two summers at the Bijou and is thrilled to be leading dance this summer. Lisa has danced her entire life, studying her craft at Birmingham-Southern College. She has worked at dance studios and choreographed for various theatrical companies. Though she is experienced in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, and lyrical, dancing for musicals is her favorite. She has loved performing in plays and musicals all over Tennessee. She holds a Masters in Education with the belief that empowering students with knowledge and courage is the greatest endeavor. She cannot wait to meet campers at the Bijou!
Meet the Summer Stages 2026 Music Instructor!
Blayne Ziegenfuss is a voice teacher and singer based in Knoxville, TN, specializing in classical, musical theatre, and contemporary vocal technique. He is the founder and lead teacher at Ziegenfuss Voice Studio.
With over a decade of private teaching experience, Blayne has trained singers at every level — from aspiring high school performers to advanced professionals working in opera, musical theatre, and commercial music. His students have earned placements in top regional and national competitions, gained admission to prestigious high school and collegiate music programs, and received competitive talent and merit-based scholarships, including the coveted Grace Moore Scholarship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Blayne’s students have been admitted to leading college and conservatory programs including Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (CCM), Ball State University, Anderson University, Molloy University / CAP21, Marymount Manhattan College, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He has also coached high school students who were selected to participate in the Jimmy Awards (The National High School Musical Theatre Awards) in New York City, presented by the Broadway League Foundation. His professional students have appeared with Knoxville Opera, Dollywood, and regional and national theatre companies across the country.
He is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), a certified Vocal Health First Aider through Vocal Health Education UK, and has completed 160 hours of training in the Alexander Technique. He is currently pursuing his 1600-hour Alexander Technique teaching certification through the Mind Body Music School.
As a performer, Blayne is experienced in opera, musical theatre, choral, and concert work. Opera credits include Amahl and the Night Visitors, Die Fledermaus, The Magic Flute, La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, Roméo et Juliette, and I Pagliacci, among many others. Musical theatre roles include Guys and Dolls, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Li’l Abner. He has appeared in solo roles for works including Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Dixit Dominus. He has performed with UNCG Opera Theatre, Greensboro Opera, Knoxville Opera, Marble City Opera, the Knoxville Choral Society, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.
Blayne holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His ongoing research interests include acoustic vocal pedagogy, the Alexander Technique, and holistic health for singers, including exercise and nutrition for the professional voice user. In addition to his studio teaching, Blayne presents masterclasses locally and nationally and currently studies with acclaimed voice teacher Kenneth Bozeman.
For questions or concerns, please get in touch with Nathan McGhee at nathan@knoxbijou.org or 865-522-0832 ext. 207.
THANK YOU TO OUR YOUTH EDUCATION FUNDERS FOR MAKING THESE PROGRAMS POSSIBLE
