For the past 17 weeks, students and teachers from three elementary schools in the Lansing area have been working with Wharton Center teaching artists, at no cost to the schools, to learn, rehearse and perform their first school musical.
Students from El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Academy, Mount Hope STEAM Elementary and North Elementary School, along with Flint’s Richfield Public School Academy, had a chance to showcase their talents in front of their family and friends.
The Disney Theatrical Group provided these schools with performance rights and show kits to produce “The Lion King” or “Aladdin.”
The program, designed by Disney for third, fourth and fifth graders, was a part of the Disney Musicals in Schools Student Celebration, and served to encourage theatrical arts in public elementary schools.
“We’re looking at all the programs we do at Wharton Center and sometimes that age group has been a little bit ignored so this really enhanced an opportunity for those kids,” said Bert Goldstein, assistant director of performing arts at the Wharton Center.