The 2023 season of high-spirited family musicals at Rock Island’s Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse kicks off Thursday, March 30, with “Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School.”

Running through April 22, this energetic delight is adapted from Barbara Park’s beloved children’s-book series about the riotous and winning young Junie B. Jones, and Circa features a professional cast of performers, according to a theater release.

The new kids’ show features (L-R) Rachel Winter, Taylor Lynn, Bobby Becher, Krianna Walljasper, Emmett Boedeker, and Savannah Bay Strandin.

Featuring cheerful, upbeat songs from Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich (composers of “Junie B. Jones: The Musical” and “Dear Edwina”), the “Essential Survival Guide to School” is an “enjoyably goofy, heartwarming show about owning up to your mistakes, reminding audiences, in a delightful way, that no one is ever done learning,” the Circa release says.

The new production is directed, choreographed, and set designed by Circa ‘21 veteran Ashley Becher, who previously helmed such Rock Island productions as “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,” “Seussical,” “Just Desserts” and “Santa Claus: The Musical.”

Serving as the show’s musical director is Circa favorite Shelley Walljasper, an on-stage presence in Disney’s “Beauty & the Beast” and the current “Grumpy Old Men: The Musical,” with additional members of Becher’s creative team including costume designer Bradley Robert Jensen, sound designer Ben Takitch and stage manager and props/lighting designer Kendall McKasson.

Rachel Winter, left, with Taylor Lynn as Junie.

Junie B. herself is portrayed by Taylor Lynn of Circa ’21’s recent “We Will Rock You,” with the ensemble completed by Bobby Becher, Savannah Bay Strandin, Krianna Walljasper, Emmett Boedeker and Rachel Winter.

A self-appointed expert on all things elementary school, Junie B. is determined to write the ultimate guide to help fellow students through these difficult formative years, according to a synopsis. Yet as she deals with writer’s block and, as usual, constantly gets into trouble without meaning to, Junie B. quickly realizes that she still has a lot to learn.

“Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School” features (L-R) Krianna Walljasper, Taylor Lynn, Savannah Bay Strandin, Emmett Boedeker and Bobby Becher.

Circa ’21 will present show-only performances on scheduled Tuesday-through-Saturday mornings and afternoons from March 30 through April 22. Morning productions, with the doors opening at 9:30 a.m. and the shows beginning at 10 a.m., will be March 30 and 31, as well as on April 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, and 22. Afternoon productions, with 12:30 p.m. doors and 1 p.m. show times, are scheduled for the Saturdays of April 1, 8, 15, and 22. Many of the weekday performances are already sold out.

Ticket prices are $10 per person, available at the theater (1828 3rd Ave., Rock Island), or by calling 309-786-7733, ext. 2.