A couple of stray comments I?ve made over the past few days prompted several questions from JLFers and others about a musical production I?m involved in next week, so rather than answer them all individually, here?s the skinny:

Some close friends and I created a program back in 1991 called the Teen Arts Program, or TAP. It was first housed at Raleigh?s Theater in the Park for several years, then at Meredith College, and is now part of the summer offerings at Cary Academy. TAP holds auditions for teenagers from across the Triangle area during the spring, and then convenes a roughly two-week camp in the summer during which the students receive vocal, dance, and acting instruction and learn an entire, original musical they then perform for the public. The program is obviously intensive and demanding. But its unique twist ? we never do stock shows, only original musicals ? and the talented staff of artists that run it have made it one of the most popular theater programs for teenagers in the region.

My role has usually been limited to writing songs and lyrics for the shows, though in one case (of insanity) I wrote the entire show. I don?t know why they won?t let me do more, given my huge amount of free time, but whacha gonna do?

This year?s production is Jackpot, and is particularly neat because it was written by one of the students, a longtime participant in TAP who is now a freshman at UNC-Greensboro. The story involves a family who lives in a trailer park and then wins a sweepstakes. Amusing complications ensue, naturally. And there?s a romantic subplot, naturally. Rumors of something called a ?Casserole Hoedown? and a country/funk fushion number are as yet unconfirmed.

And, no, this isn?t an endorsement of a state-run lottery. The sweepstakes is entirely private and voluntary. And I?m not at all defensive about that.

The performances will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 25 and 26, at Cary Academy?s beautiful Fine Arts Center at 1500 North Harrison Drive. Click here for more details.