Exciting world of first-grader Junie B. Jones coming to life on stage

Published 4:38 am Thursday, January 15, 2026

The Christian Youth Theater will be presenting “Junie B. Jones The Musical” this weekend at the F.G. Bulber Auditorium on the McNeese State University campus.

The musical promises to take the audience along for the ride as Junie B. Jones enters first grade as an outspoken, curious and funny little girl who’s ready to take on the world. From learning to read to finding a new best friend, Junie faces the ups and downs of growing up with honesty, heart and plenty of laughs.

Along the way, she discovers that even when things don’t go as planned, kindness, courage and a good attitude can make any day a success.

“In this musical, Junie is entering into the first grade and, of course, with a new grade comes a new classroom, new friends and new challenges that she has to face and it’s just watching how she overcomes her circumstances and how she finds the fun and beauty in it,” said Brittany Menard, artistic director for CYT who will be making her directorial debut with “Junie B. Jones.”

Menard has been with CYT since the organization began in 2017 and has been part of all 21 shows. This cast is made up of 67 students with the majority being under the age of 10.

Menard said it’s beautiful to have a younger cast that doesn’t typically have the spotlight and is excited for them to have that moment.

“I’ve watched most of these kids grow up since they were little bitty and for some of the kids this is the very first show they’ve ever done,” Menard said.

Menard said the turnaround for “Junie B. Jones” was six weeks when normally the team has at least 10 weeks. She said the team was strategic and intentional with every second of rehearsal time.

She said being the director of this show leads to more responsibilities, but is thankful for the opportunity to let the children feel seen and feel heard.

“You have such a unique opportunity to build their little worlds up and to make them feel so empowered and create a world and universe that did not exist before this for them and I don’t take that lightly,” she said.

As the director, Menard divided the cast up into three groups, each group made up their own chants that they could do at every rehearsal. She said that breaking the cast into three “classrooms” helped create bonds, friendships and support among the children.

“What you see on stage might look impossible but they do impossible things. Kids are so resilient and I just make sure to keep the atmosphere incredibly fun and lighthearted,” she said.

Menard said she also lead rehearsals with a reading of Matthew 5:16: “Let your light shine before others.” She said she hopes the biggest takeaway for the audience and the performers is to not be afraid of who you are.

“Like a lot of kids, when they’re younger, they might start out confident in who they are and then they get to an age where they’re more self-aware and care about what people think and tend to want to snuff out their little lights just to make other people feel OK about it and this musical celebrates Junie being just who she is and the way that God created her,” she said.

Menard said the show will keep audience members smiling the whole time. She said it’s a joy for all ages to watch. “This show can be enjoyed by any age — it is funny, it is sweet, it is charming — it’s so much fun to watch and it’s filled with all kinds of fun, laughter and joy and I think that it really can translate to any age,” she said.

Showtimes are Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime. Runtime for the show is an hour with a brief intermission.

Tickets can be purchased online at cytlakecharles.org or at the door.