Education Student Spotlight:

Jack Pirok

Jack Pirok is a 9-year-old student at Lake Forest Country Day School who has truly found his second home at Citadel Theatre. He enjoys all things music, playing trumpet in his school’s 7th/8th grade band (as the only elementary student to do so since 2nd grade), running track and playing competitive basketball.

Jack began piano lessons at age 5, where his teacher quickly discovered his perfect pitch and encouraged him to explore singing. What started as piano soon became voice lessons and he gravitated naturally toward musical theatre, learning songs across many genres.

He began his journey with Citadel Theatre at age 7 in Annie, where he arrived so nervous that he was invited to sing facing the wall during his audition and that’s exactly what he did. From that moment, the Citadel team recognized his talent and supported him in a way that allowed him to grow at his own pace. Over time, Jack transformed from a child who only sang at home into a confident young performer who loves stepping into different characters, telling stories through music and building friendships along the way.

Since then, Jack has continued to grow with Citadel, performing in productions including Mike Teavee in Willy Wonka, Doody in Grease and Horton the Elephant in Seussical the Musical. He has gone from having no dance experience to confidently tackling complex choreography, crediting his teachers for their encouragement and support.

Recently, Jack began exploring on-screen acting and just completed filming his first short film. While he is excited about this new experience, he remains deeply connected to Citadel and cannot wait to return to the stage. For Jack, Citadel continues to feel like home.

We are proud to celebrate Jack in this month’s Education Student Spotlight as an inspiring example of how support, creativity and courage can help young artists discover their voice.