CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — With less than two months to go until opening night, the organizers of the Virginia Theater Festival are hard at work putting together the casts and crews that will bring their program to life.

“Oftentimes you think about the process of producing theater as when rehearsal starts,” VTF Artistic Director Jenny Wales told Cville Right Now. “But there’s months of work done before we even start the first day of rehearsal. So, it’s been really exciting to see the creative teams come together and begin designing the world of the play, to have the casting team come together, putting together the incredible artists that are going to be a part of our productions, and just all the logistics that have to happen.

“We basically build a theatrical city over 10 weeks in the summer.”

The festival took a major step forward in those efforts when it announced the cast of “Newsies” a few weeks ago. The cast is one of the largest the VTF has assembled and features Broadway veterans alongside students from the University of Virginia and Charlottesville.

Those experienced actors include Nyla Watson, a Broadway veteran with credits in “Waitress” as well as the national tours for “Wicked,” “The Color Purple” and “Hadestown,” and James Watson, who was a part of original cast for “Spamalot” and is returning to VTF for his second year. There are also experienced local actors and VTF returnees like Dan Stern and Joey Wharton.

“The cast is truly incredible,” Wales said. “It is such a wonderful mix of the best actors in our community and UVA students with artists who are coming from all over the country to join us.”

Among the UVA students is junior Cameron Gardner, who will play Bowery Beauty, among other roles. She is returning to VTF for her second year after appearing in last year’s production of “Into the Woods.”  Gardner, a double major in drama and media studies, told Cville Right Now performing in VTF last year was an “absolutely invaluable” experience and one she excited to do again.

“There’s such an emphasis on combining talent from Charlottesville with like talent from across the country and from New York and Broadway,” she said, “and I think when you bring all of that together, it just creates so much room for opportunity and learning from one another.”

In addition to the experienced professionals and students who will be performing in Newsies, the production has also brought in 13 cast members under the age of 18 to play the Brooklyn Newsies. VTF partnered with local performing arts academy DMR Adventures for the auditioning process and had over 50 students audition for the roles.

“Those were the hardest decisions we had to make,” Wales said. “It was extraordinary the amount of talent amongst our young artists here in Charlottesville.”

As a whole, Gardner said the cast was younger, with plenty of actors fresh out of college and just beginning their professional careers. She said she’s excited to make valuable connections with other young actors while also working with experienced veterans.

“I think it’ll just make for a beautiful opportunity to gain so much out of it while also making lifelong connections and friendships in the theater industry,” Gardner said, “which I think is just crucial to pursuing this.”

VTF’s 52nd season will open on June 20 with Ken Ludwig’s “Moriarty,” which will run through the 19th at the Ruth Caplin Theatre. Wales said in mid-April the cast for that production will be coming out within the new few weeks.

“Newsies” will run afterward from July 9-19 at the Culbreth Theatre. “Frida…A Self Portrait,” a one-woman show written and performed by Vanessa Severo will close out the festival at the Ruth Caplin Theatre from July 23-26.