Musical theater program celebrates 10th anniversary season

APPLETON, Wis. — The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Center Stage High School Musical Theater Program this theater season.

The Center Stage High School Musical Theater Program launched in 2016 as an education initiative that celebrated and supported the achievements of high school theater, while aiming to build confidence, creativity and collaboration among high school students in northeastern Wisconsin.

The program will include 34 participating high schools this season; that’s more than double the number of schools that participated when it launched. 

(Fox Cities Performing Arts Center)

The participating high schools for the 2025-2026 season include:

• Appleton East High School 
  “Footloose,” Nov. 7-9, 13-15, 2025
• Ashwaubenon High School
  “Once Upong a One More Time,” Nov. 6-8, 2025
  
• Brillion High School 
  “Into the Woods,” Nov. 13-15, 2025 
  
• Chilton High School
  “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” Nov. 13-15, 2025
  
• De Pere High School
  “Grease,” Nov. 13-15, 2025
  
• Denmark High School 
  “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical,” Nov. 7-9, 14-16, 2025
  
• Fox Valley Lutheran High School
  “Disney’s Newsies,” March 6-8, 2026
  
• Gibraltar High School
  TBD, March 6-8, 2026
  
• Green Bay East High School 
  “The Lightning Thief,” Nov. 7-8, 14-15, 2025
  
• Green Bay Southwest High School
  “The Spongebob Musical,” Dec. 5-6, 11-13, 2025
• Green Bay West High School 
  “Mean Girls High School Version,” March 13-16, 2026
  
• Hortonville High School 
  “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” Nov. 6-8, 2025
• Howards Grove High School 
  “The Sound of Music,” Nov. 13-16
• Kiel High School 
  “Footloose,” Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2025
  
• Little Chute High School 
  “The Addams Family Musical: School Edition,” Nov. 13-15, 2025
  
• Luxemburg-Casco High School 
  TBD, Feb. 13-15, 2026
  
• Manitowoc Lincoln High School
  “9-5,” Feb. 19-21, 2026
  
• Manitowoc Lutheran High School 
  “Seussical,” March 13-15, 2026
• Menasha High School 
  TBD, March 18-21, 2026
  
• Mishicot High School
  “Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Broadway Version),” Nov. 7-9. 2025
  
• Neenah High School 
  “Disney’s Mary Poppins,” Oct. 22-26, 2025
  
• New London High School 
  “The Pajama Game,” Oct. 10-12, 2025
  
• Notre Dame Academy 
  “The Wizard of Oz,” Jan. 22-25, 2026
  
• Oshkosh North High School 
  “Hadestown: Teen Edition,” Feb. 12-15, 2026
  
• Oshkosh West High School
  “Oklahoma!” Jan. 22-25, 2026
  
• Pulaski High School
  “Seussical,” Feb. 14-15, 21-22, 2026
  
• Shawano Community High School 
  “The Addamas Family Musical: School Edition,” Feb. 5-8, 2026
  
• Sheboygan Falls High School
  “Sister Act,” Nov. 13-15, 2025 
  
• Southern Door High School
  “All Shook Up: School Edition,” Nov. 13-16, 2025
  
• St. Mary Catholic High School
  TBD, March 5-8, 2026
  
• Two Rivers High School 
  “Anything Goes,” Nov. 14-16, 2025
  
• Valley Christian School 
  “The Prince of Egypt,” April 9-11, 2026
  
• Weyauwega-Fremont High Schoool 
  TBD, TBD 
  
• Winnebago Lutheran Academy 
  “Brigadoon,” Nov. 13-16, 2025

“Reaching our 10th anniversary with 34 participating schools, more than doubling the 14 schools that participated in year one, is a powerful reflection of the program’s impact and commitment to arts education in our community,” said Chief Programming Officer Amy Gosz.

This season will provide students with a variety of opportunities. They can attend workshops led by local professionals or touring arts experts. Additionally, select students will serve as student ambassadors or audition for the encore singers.

Student ambassadors are students chosen to promote the program by sharing their experiences, while developing leadership and digital media skills. Students who are encore singers will perform at various community events, the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and local sporting events.

“Center Stage not only highlights outstanding musical theater but also helps students build confidence, creativity and connections that last well beyond the stage,” said Gosz.

(Fox Cities Performing Arts Center)

This season will end with a Tony Awards-style showcase in May 2026, filled with live performances, recognition of accomplishments and celebration of the community formed throughout the year.

Tickets for the Center Stage High School Musical Theater Showcase go on sale Sept. 19, 2025, at noon. Purchase tickets, here. 

For more information on the participating schools and their upcoming events, click here.