Help Keep Rock Rising Tuition-Free!

Rock Rising, Inc.

Rock Rising, Inc. empowers youth through free musical theater education and performance opportunities, fostering creativity, confidence, and community engagement in the arts.

<div fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" id="isPasted" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;">Join Rock Rising for a cozy Winter Cabaret, emceed by Jack Roden (Parade&nbsp;Broadway Tour, and TikTok Sensation)!&nbsp;</div> <div fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;">Rock Rising&#39;s Got Talent&nbsp;will usher in the holiday spirit with unforgettable live performances from our Rock Rising Community! All funds raised will help to see that Rock Rising starts 2026 with a bang.&nbsp;</div><div fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;"> </div><div fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;">The vibe is winter fun and fancy free! Dress in a way that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Want to throw on that snazzy holiday outfit you never get to wear? Go for it! Want to dazzle us with a sequin number? Funny holiday sweater? We welcome all of it.</div> <div fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;">There will be prizes, beverages, and light bites for all. Maybe you&#39;ll be a lucky winner!&nbsp;</div>

Winter Cabaret - Rock Rising's Got Talent

Making your donation a little fun! Enter to win one of three amazing prizes! Each prize valued at $75!&nbsp; Your raffle tickets and donations support our tuition-free youth theater programming!

Cabaret Raffle - Rock Rising!

Join us for an adventure in Arendelle with Elsa, Anna, Kristoff &amp; Sven at Rock Rising&#39;s Fall Musical Frozen Jr.! This show features 33 talented actors ages 5-18. Our program is tuition-free and all donations and ticket sales go towards future shows.&nbsp; Frozen Jr. runs about 1-hour with no intermission and doors will open 30 minutes before the showtime. Please plan to arrive early so that you can purchase concessions and raffle tickets! We accept cash, Venmo, PayPal &amp; Zelle.

Rock Rising's Frozen Jr.

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1762540906/wysiwyg/q0lwvou3zblyahxlfwws.jpg" style="width: 253px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; -webkit-user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 253px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Yay! A fall workshop series designed for all ages, for all people and for all experiences! We are thrilled to offer this 3 day workshop (Sunday November 16, Monday November 17, and Wednesday November 19) for anyone interested in furthering their theater education. Whether you&#39;re auditioning for an upcoming show or just looking to learn something new - this workshop is for you! We hope you can join us!&nbsp;

Rock Rising: Fall Workshop Series

<p data-end="963" data-start="614" fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" id="isPasted" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;">Musical Improv Workshop with Alyssa Davis<p data-end="963" data-start="614" fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;"> Ever wanted to rhyme on the spot? Whether you&#39;re improvising Shakespeare, freestyling, or making up songs, learn the basics of rhyming from Alyssa Davis! Alyssa is fresh off her Edinburgh Fringe run with Baby Wants Candy and Shamilton! Gain confidence, get silly, and have a blast making up music together.<p data-end="963" data-start="614" fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;"> <p data-end="1078" data-start="965" fr-original-style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" style="font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;">📅 October 16th, 5&ndash;7 PM 📍 The Tank Theater &ndash; 6th Floor Studio 🎟️ Guest Instructor: Alyssa Davis <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1760038471/wysiwyg/dc0qulbjbg3ce6msv5kz.jpg" style="width: 278px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; -webkit-user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 278px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">

Rock Rising Workshop: Musical Improv

Rock Rising is thrilled to host weekly workshops in Manhattan on Thursdays! Join us on October 9 at 530pm in Midtown Manhattan. Please wear shoes you can comfortably dance in, water and clothes you&#39;d wear to a workout or dance class. This week we are thrilled to have CATRINA CONTINI teach us a dance from &quot;Wicked&quot;! Catrina is a long-time friend and choreographer at Rock Rising. We can&#39;t wait to learn her choreography to &quot;One Short Day&quot;! <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1759499328/wysiwyg/edjkdvkz5kxjk449czun.jpg" style="width: 223px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; -webkit-user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 223px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">

Rock Rising Workshop: Dance "One Short Day"

Rock Rising is thrilled to host weekly workshops in Manhattan on Thursdays! Join us on October 2 from 5-7pm at The Tank Theater Attic Space. Please wear shoes you can comfortably dance in, water and clothes you&#39;d wear to a workout or dance class. This week we are thrilled to have ALLISON HUNT teach us a dance from &quot;The Greatest Showman!&quot;. Allison is an amazing actor, dancer, choreographer, and writer in NYC. We love working with her and can&#39;t wait to learn her choreography to the title song &quot;The Greatest Show&quot; &nbsp;Hope to see you there! <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1758922385/wysiwyg/lz2vxipyajrc8ueipmzi.jpg" style="width: 174px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; -webkit-user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 174px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">

Rock Rising Workshop: Dance "The Greatest Show"!

Rock Rising is thrilled to host weekly workshops in Manhattan on Thursdays! Join us from 5-7pm at The Tank Theater Attic Space. Please wear shoes you can comfortably move in, water and clothes you&#39;d wear to a workout or dance class. This week we are thrilled to have Actor <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.dramamatt.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; -webkit-user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">Matthew Rini</a> for a stage combat and movement class. Matt is an accomplished artist and friend of Rock Rising. We can&#39;t wait to learn from him!

Rock Rising Workshop: Intro to Stage Combat!

And for the main event: our Mock Auditions! An opportunity to practice auditioning singing, acting &amp; dancing. These auditions will be open in a Master Class format with time at the end for feedback and coaching.

Mock Audition Workshop

<span fr-original-style="caret-color: rgb(69, 14, 93); color: rgb(69, 14, 93); font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; orphans: auto; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none; display: inline !important; float: none;" id="isPasted" style="caret-color: rgb(69, 14, 93); color: rgb(69, 14, 93); font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.25px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important; box-sizing: inherit;">Work on your Triple Threat: Sing/Dance/Act! Join our very own Michael Alan Johnson, Julie Drexler Johnson and guest instructors Allison Hunt (Choreographer) &amp; Marissa Rosano (Voice) for our second workshop! We will help you craft your own personal audition book, select an audition song and boost your confidence for auditioning!

Triple Threat: Sing/Dance/Act!

<p dir="ltr" fr-original-style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: center; margin: 0pt 0px; width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span fr-original-style='font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;' style='font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; box-sizing: inherit;'>&nbsp;&nbsp;<span fr-original-style='font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;' style='font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; box-sizing: inherit;'>Musical Theater Dance Intensive, Acting Through Movement &amp; Acting Through Monologue! Join our very own Michael Alan Johnson and guest instructors Allison Hunt (Choreographer) &amp; Brian Patterson (Actor) for our first workshop!&nbsp;You will leave more confident in your dancing, movement and acting!

Dancing & Acting Workshop

Join us for an evening under the sea with &quot;Finding Nemo Jr.!&quot; produced by Rock Rising and starring 34 incredible actors ages 5-18!&nbsp;

Finding Nemo Jr.

🎉 Excitement is in the air! Get ready to be a part of something extraordinary at Rock Rising&#39;s Got Talent! It&#39;s an event like no other - a chance for us to show off our community in a night of unique, unforgettable acts. &nbsp;🎉 Every ticket sold to this event will bring us closer to achieving our fundraising goal. Get ready for some talent in your face!! Thank you for supporting our mission: your support is invaluable to us.&nbsp; Make sure you come prepared to buy snacks, drinks, and vote for our Audience Choice award! It&#39;ll be a blast and we can&#39;t wait to celebrate with you.&nbsp;

Rock Rising's Got Talent

Join us for Rock Rising's Spring Musical "Mary Poppins Junior" co-directed by RR's founders Michael Alan Johnson & Julie Drexler Johnson and choreographed by Catrina Contini.  Our cast features 33 talented actors ages 5-18.  There is no intermission and the house will open 20 minutes before curtain. We will have snacks and beverages for sale (cash, Venmo and PayPal accepted). Can't wait to see you at the theater!

Mary Poppins Junior

<h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;"><hr fr-original-style="" style="clear: both; -webkit-user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: inherit;">At Rock Rising, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to shine on stage. That&rsquo;s why our youth theater program is&nbsp;entirely tuition-free, a rarity in New York City. Since launching our youth programming in late 2023, we&rsquo;ve grown from a cast of 13 in our first production (Everyday Charlie) to over 30 performers in our recent shows. Our students come from a wide range of neighborhoods and backgrounds, and they bring incredible heart, energy and talent to the stage.&nbsp; We&rsquo;re committed to providing high-quality, accessible theater experiences&mdash;but we can&rsquo;t do it without your help.</h3><h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Your Gift Will Be Matched</h3><h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Thanks to a generous donor, every dollar we raised&mdash;up to $50,000&mdash;has been matched. That means we have the opportunity to raise over $100,000, which would fully fund our company&#39;s budget through August&nbsp;2026. In 2024, our impact continued to grow: we served over 100 students, employed 10 teaching artists, partnered with 5 schools and organizations, provided paid work to 20 professional actors, and welcomed more than 1,000 audience members. Our impact is real, and our footprint is growing&mdash;a clear sign that this work matters. It&rsquo;s both humbling and exciting to see what we&rsquo;re building together.</h3><h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Why This Fundraiser Is Different</h3><h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">In the past, we&rsquo;ve fundraised for each show individually. This year, we&rsquo;re doing things differently. If we reach our goal this spring, we won&rsquo;t need to actively fundraise again until next year&mdash;freeing up our team to focus entirely on what we love best: creating meaningful, transformative theater experiences for kids.&nbsp;In other words, we can focus on the work in front of us without worrying about the funding! While our space limits how many students we can accommodate, your support ensures that we can continue offering tuition-free programming to as many young performers as we&rsquo;re able to welcome.&nbsp; How we intend to use these funds is linked <a fr-original-style="text-decoration-color:initial;-webkit-user-select:auto;font-weight:700;box-sizing:inherit;" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QhB4IxB4oLheu984HcG_GsAthHDrbsbG7C5Cq1M3qlw/edit?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color:initial;-webkit-user-select:auto;font-weight:700;box-sizing:inherit;" target="_blank">HERE</a> for your reference.</h3><h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">How You Can Help</h3><h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;"><ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="margin-left:15px;box-sizing:inherit;" style="margin-left:15px;box-sizing:inherit;">Donate today &mdash; Your gift will be doubled thanks to our matching donor.</li><li fr-original-style="margin-left:15px;box-sizing:inherit;" style="margin-left:15px;box-sizing:inherit;">Share our story &mdash; Spread the word to friends, family, and anyone who believes in accessible arts education.</li><li fr-original-style="margin-left:15px;box-sizing:inherit;" style="margin-left:15px;box-sizing:inherit;">Get involved &mdash; Interested in helping with our development efforts? We&rsquo;d love to hear from you.</li><li fr-original-style="margin-left:15px;box-sizing:inherit;" style="margin-left:15px;box-sizing:inherit;">Join our newsletter&nbsp;&mdash; Save the dates for our upcoming shows, events and exciting announcements! Visit <a fr-original-style="text-decoration-color:initial;-webkit-user-select:auto;font-weight:700;box-sizing:inherit;" href="http://rockrising.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color:initial;-webkit-user-select:auto;font-weight:700;box-sizing:inherit;" target="_blank">www.rockrising.org</a></li></ul>Your support helps us build a vibrant community rooted in creativity and connection&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;without financial barriers.</h3><h3 fr-original-style="" style="width: 100%; box-sizing: inherit;">Check Out Our Work</h3>The video at the top of this page is a beautiful recap video of our most recent tuition-free production Mary Poppins Jr.&nbsp;(edited by Catrina Contini &amp; shot by Tyler Riefke). Please also enjoy this highlight video of our very own musical <a fr-original-style="text-decoration-color:initial;-webkit-user-select:auto;font-weight:700;box-sizing:inherit;" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAPBHtNb45M" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color:initial;-webkit-user-select:auto;font-weight:700;box-sizing:inherit;" target="_blank">Everyday Charlie</a> directed by Alex Hare and created by Michael Alan Johnson at The Tank Theater in 2023. You can find more on our <strong fr-original-style="text-decoration-color:initial;-webkit-user-select:auto;font-weight:700;box-sizing:inherit;" style="text-decoration-color:initial;-webkit-user-select:auto;font-weight:700;box-sizing:inherit;"><a fr-original-style="text-decoration-color:initial;-webkit-user-select:auto;font-weight:700;box-sizing:inherit;" href="http://instagram.com/rockrising" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color:initial;-webkit-user-select:auto;font-weight:700;box-sizing:inherit;" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1742597461/ujzfmtga4h0mrklcooyz.jpg" style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; -webkit-user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; -webkit-user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Mary Poppins Jr., Photo by Tyler Riefke, 2025<span contenteditable="false" fr-original-style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; box-sizing: inherit;"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1742910099/wysiwyg/ztttehvvf4eamnjejh8g.jpg" style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Matilda Jr., Photo by Kate Brunotts, 2024

At Rock Rising, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to shine on stage. That’s why our youth theater program is entirely tuition-free, a rarity in New York City.Since launching our youth programming in late 2023, we’ve grown from a cast of 13 in our first production (Everyday Charlie) to over 30 performers in our recent shows. Our students come from a wide range of neighborhoods and backgrounds, and they bring incredible heart, energy and talent to the stage. We’re committed to providing high-quality, accessible theater experiences—but we can’t do it without your help.Your Gift Will Be MatchedThanks to a generous donor, every dollar we raised—up to $50,000—has been matched. That means we have the opportunity to raise over $100,000, which would fully fund our company's budget through August 2026.In 2024, our impact continued to grow: we served over 100 students, employed 10 teaching artists, partnered with 5 schools and organizations, provided paid work to 20 professional actors, and welcomed more than 1,000 audience members. Our impact is real, and our footprint is growing—a clear sign that this work matters. It’s both humbling and exciting to see what we’re building together.Why This Fundraiser Is DifferentIn the past, we’ve fundraised for each show individually. This year, we’re doing things differently. If we reach our goal this spring, we won’t need to actively fundraise again until next year—freeing up our team to focus entirely on what we love best: creating meaningful, transformative theater experiences for kids. In other words, we can focus on the work in front of us without worrying about the funding!While our space limits how many students we can accommodate, your support ensures that we can continue offering tuition-free programming to as many young performers as we’re able to welcome. How we intend to use these funds is linked HERE for your reference.How You Can HelpDonate today — Your gift will be doubled thanks to our matching donor.Share our story — Spread the word to friends, family, and anyone who believes in accessible arts education.Get involved — Interested in helping with our development efforts? We’d love to hear from you.Join our newsletter — Save the dates for our upcoming shows, events and exciting announcements! Visit www.rockrising.orgYour support helps us build a vibrant community rooted in creativity and connection — without financial barriers.Check Out Our WorkThe video at the top of this page is a beautiful recap video of our most recent tuition-free production Mary Poppins Jr. (edited by Catrina Contini &amp; shot by Tyler Riefke). Please also enjoy this highlight video of our very own musical Everyday Charlie directed by Alex Hare and created by Michael Alan Johnson at The Tank Theater in 2023. You can find more on our Instagram.Mary Poppins Jr., Photo by Tyler Riefke, 2025Matilda Jr., Photo by Kate Brunotts, 2024

3/5-9 Cast Waffles3/12-15 Cast Pancakes3/19-22 Cast Waffles&nbsp;3/26-29 Cast Pancakes Join us for Rock Rising&#39;s production of Roald Dahl&#39;s Willy Wonka TYA! This show features 51 talented actors from our community - split into two casts &quot;Cast Pancakes&quot; and &quot;Cast Waffles&quot; to allow us to include more young actors! Willy Wonka runs about 1-hour with no intermission. Doors will open 30 minutes before showtime and we encourage to you arrive early to explore our Candy Shop and save your seats! For our raffle and concessions, we accept cash, Venmo, PayPal &amp; Zelle. This program is tuition-free for our students 18 and under, you can donate with your ticket purchase to help keep our tuition-free model! Rock Rising is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Your donations are tax-deductible.

Rock Rising, Inc.

Rock Rising, Inc.

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Willy Wonka Musical

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