The Dawson County Arts Council will be well represented later this month at the 2011 Junior Theater Festival at Cobb Galleria in Atlanta.

The invitation only event brings together more than 3,000 students, teachers and Broadway professionals to raise their voices in celebration of on-stage and backstage excellence in musical theatre.

Nearly three dozen area elementary and middle school students have been selected to perform a musical for a panel of distinguished theatre professionals during the showcase that runs Jan. 14 and 15.

Director Nathan Gerrells said the group will present a 15-minute selection from "Godspell, Jr."

While "Godspell, Jr." has been performed by the council's youth theater group in the past, the showcase will feature a new crowd of actors and actresses.

"This is a new group than the one that performed this a few years ago, a lot of new performers," Gerrells said.

The panel evaluates each group's music, acting, dance and overall performance.

Performers representing the Dawson County Arts Council were rewarded for their performances during last year's festival.

Kealy Ford received the Freddie G Outstanding Broadway Junior Slam award, while Sean Newman was one of eight students named to the Junior Theater Festival Technical Theatre All-Stars.

Local performers were also hand-picked to perform selections from Disney's Winnie the Pooh KIDS for all 2,200 festival attendees at the Disney Musicals New Works showcase.

The showcase is Jan. 13-15 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.