On June 3, 2024, 159 elementary school students from three Rhode Island elementary schools will have the opportunity to sing, dance and act on the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) stage.
This exciting event is possible through the collaboration of the Providence Performing Arts Center and Disney Theatrical Group. The program that is given the name “Disney Musicals in Schools” offers students from Central Falls, Cumberland, Warwick and Pawtucket the opportunity to participate in the production of a Disney KIDS musical. Students from Ella Risk Elementary School in Central Falls, Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary School 2 in Cumberland and Norwood Elementary School in Warwick will perform “Finding Nemo KIDS,” while Elizabeth Baldwin Elementary School in Pawtucket will return to the program with a new teaching team.
The students participated in a 17-week residency where they were trained by eight teaching artists from PPAC and Disney Theatrical Group. The residency included a professional development focus where teachers and students worked together to learn how to produce, direct, choreograph and music direct. The production of a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical is the culmination of the program. All three schools will perform an excerpt from their production. The event will open with all Disney Musicals in Schools student participants performing the special production number “It Starts with a Dream,” written by Disney composer Alan Menken.
Disney Theatrical Group launched the “Disney Musicals in Schools” program in 2010. The program was created in response to the concern that under-resourced public elementary schools did not have equitable access to the arts. The program offers students in elementary school the opportunity to perform in a professional setting and develop critical thinking skills.
The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) is committed to providing the community with high-quality performances and learning opportunities. The PPAC has a seating capacity of 3100 and offers a variety of programming for students, families and educators.PPAC’s outreach and engagement programs offer valuable opportunities for students to experience the arts and develop critical thinking skills. These programs include Arts Showcase, Arts Scholarships, Disney Musicals in Schools, Experience PPAC, From Books to Broadway, the Reignite Professional Development Series, and more. For more information on these programs, visit ppacri.org/outreach.
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Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
