The 2004 season at North Shore Music Theatre will be remembered as a year filled with innovative programs designed to introduce new audiences of all ages to the Theatre, as well as a year of recognition for the Theatre’s contributions to the community and the arts.

“2004 was an extremely busy and exciting year at North Shore Music Theatre,” said Jon Kimbell, NSMT’s artistic director and executive producer.
“In the spring we were thrilled to be recognized by the theater community for our 2003 production of Pacific Overtures and for our continued commitment to diversity,” he said.
“We also maintained our devotion to producing new works in 2004 with “Tom Jones- The Musical,” and our partnerships with Disney Theatricals and Music Theater International resulted in a wonderful student production of Disney’s “Aladdin Junior.”
“2004 was a tremendous lead-in to the 2005 season- a season of celebrating our past 50 years and our future!” he said.
Kimball said the theater, located in Beverly, was recognized by several prominent organizations in 2004 for its professional musical productions and commitment to diversity.
NSMT received the Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Musical Production by the Boston Theater Critics Association as well as 9 awards from The Independent Reviewers of New England for its 2003 season production of Pacific Overtures.
The Greater Boston Business Council also honored NSMT with the Small Employer Award of Excellence for making a significant and innovative contribution to the quality of work lives of Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender employees and to the well-being of the greater Boston Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender community, he said.
In addition, NSMT was named for the third consecutive year by The Boston Business Journal as the second largest arts organization in Massachusetts.
NSMT was selected by Disney Theatricals to be one of the first regional theatres in the country to produce critically acclaimed productions of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Elton John & Tim Rice’s “Aida.”
In addition, Disney and Music Theatre International (MTI), a major licensing house in New York City, chose NSMT’s award-winning Youth Performance Academy (YPA) to be the first to fully produce a one hour stage version of Disney’s classic film “Aladdin.” NSMT’s YPA was also chosen to premiere workshops of Disney’s “Cinderella Junior,” and Disney’s “Jungle Book Junior,” he said.
In October, NSMT collaborated with the Beverly School for the Deaf staff, American Sign Language interpreters, and a deaf theater artist to create Sign Stage. This innovative program brings deaf, hard of hearing and hearing students together to create skits using American Sign Language, the spoken word, mime, and movement, he said.
Kimball said NSMT also introduced the Christmas Carol Experience during its 16th annual production of “A Christmas Carol.”
“Thousands of patrons participated in ‘Christmas with the Cratchits,’ a pre-show program presented by NSMT and the Wenham Museum designed to illustrate how the holidays were celebrated during the 19th century,” he said.