Many teenagers daydream about singing or dancing on a stage in front of a live audience. Those dreams become reality for Union County middle and high school students on Wednesday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. when they take the stage at the Teen Arts Showcase at the Union County Performing Arts Center, located at 1601 Irving Street in Rahway’s downtown arts district. An exhibit of visual artwork by fellow Union County students will be on display in the reception area.

Jazz combos, vocal groups, pianists, dancers and theater performances were selected for the Teen Arts Showcase from the 3,000 students who participated at the 2010 Teen Arts Festival at Union County College in Cranford. The Showcase is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Union County Performing Arts Center. Teachers, students, friends and family members of participating students are invited to attend the Teen Arts Showcase along with the general public.

“The Teen Arts Festival is a wonderful opportunity for students to interact with professional artists and share their talents with students from other schools,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella. “Students appearing in the Showcase on April 28 represent all arts disciplines and the municipalities that participated in the 2010 Teen Arts Festival.”

The annual Teen Arts Festival is sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and coordinated by the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in the Department of Parks and Community Renewal. The Teen Arts Festival is a celebration of the arts where students and a staff of 50 professional artists participate in performances, critiquing seminars, master classes and workshops in every discipline – visual arts, music, creative writing, theater, media arts and dance. The Festival’s focus is not about competition. It is an opportunity for students to develop perceptual, intellectual and technical skills; gain cultural awareness and understanding; develop personal, aesthetic values; and learn self-discipline, critical thinking and problem solving through analyzing, interpreting and making judgments.

The historic Union County Performing Arts Center, formerly known as the Rahway Theatre, opened in 1928 as a classic vaudeville/movie showplace. In 1984, the theatre was saved by a dedicated groups of volunteers, and in 1985, became the Union County Arts Center. The theatre, which features live performances, seats more than 1,300 people. The Theatre recently reopened after being closed 22 months for renovation.