PPAC Announces Four New Schools Selected for DISNEY MUSICALS IN SCHOOLS Program
Providence County Area Public Elementary Schools to Produce a Disney Musical at No Cost
Providence, RI - The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) is pleased to announce the four new schools that have been selected to participate in the 2023 Disney Musicals in Schools program. The program is an initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Group to create sustainable theater programs in under-resourced elementary schools. The four schools are a part of Providence County and include:
- Robert L. Bailey, IV Elementary School in Providence
- Curvin-McCabe Elementary School in Pawtucket
- Henry J. Winters Elementary School in Pawtucket
- Raíces Dual Language Academy in Central Falls
The selected schools have begun a 17-week musical theater residency, as of January 2023. Each school receives performance rights, education support materials and guidance from two teaching artists. The program features a professional development focus, through which participating school teachers partner with PPAC teaching artists to learn how to produce, direct, choreograph and music direct, culminating in their first 30-minute Disney KIDS musical at their school. As a capstone to the experience, PPAC will host a Student Share Celebration in which each school performs one number from their show on PPAC’s stage for an audience of students, teachers, family, and community members on June 5, 2023 at 6P.
During the past year, four Providence County public schools successfully participated in the program, with 180 students and 18 public school teachers and administrators working together to create a culture of musical theater at their schools. PPAC is pleased to announce that two of the schools are continuing to produce musicals. They include Asa Messer Elementary in Providence and Elizabeth Baldwin Elementary in Pawtucket.
Using the unique world of musical theater, Disney Musicals in Schools helps to foster positive relationships between students, faculty, staff, parents, and the community. Students and teachers work in teams, developing the wide spectrum of skills needed when producing a piece of musical theater, including: critical thinking, problem solving, ensemble building, communication, self-confidence, and interpersonal skills.
Disney Musicals in Schools was launched in 2010 in response to Disney Theatrical Group’s concern that under-resourced public elementary schools were not afforded equitable access to the arts. After successfully offering the program in New York City schools, Disney Theatrical Group began partnering with organizations in other communities across the United States.
Disney KIDS musicals, created in partnership with Music Theater International (MTI), are 30-minute musicals designed for elementary school performers and have been adapted from the classic Disney films 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, Frozen, The Aristocats, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, and Winnie the Pooh.
THE PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (PPAC) presents top-notch touring Broadway productions and some of the biggest names in comedy and concerts. PPAC is committed to providing the community with the highest quality in performances and learning opportunities to enrich the lives of students, educators, and families. Our outreach and engagement programs, including Disney Musicals in Schools, offer unique and valuable opportunities for students in grades K – 12 to engage in the arts while developing critical thinking skills.
Our educational outreach and engagement programs include Books to Broadway, Experience PPAC, Arts Showcase, Arts Scholarships, the Reignite Professional Development Series and more; for additional information, visit ppacri.org/outreach
Located in the heart of Providence’s arts and entertainment district, PPAC is the second largest theatre of its kind in the country. The Loew’s Theatre Building, which is the historic home of PPAC, opened in October 1928 and has been applauded for its beauty and grandeur. PPAC is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It consistently has been ranked as one of the top ten venues in the United States by Pollstar and VenuesNow.
DISNEY THEATRICAL GROUP (DTG) operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher and is among the world’s most successful commercial theatre producers, bringing live entertainment events to a global audience of more than 20 million people a year in more than 50 countries. Under the Disney Theatrical Group banner, the group produces and licenses Broadway productions around the world, including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida, TARZAN®, Mary Poppins, a co-production with Cameron Mackintosh, The Little Mermaid, Peter and the Starcatcher, Newsies, Aladdin, and Frozen. Other successful stage musical ventures have included the Olivier-nominated London hit Shakespeare in Love, stage productions of Disney’s High School Musical, Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame in Berlin, and King David in concert. DTG has collaborated with the nation’s preeminent theatres to develop new stage titles including The Jungle Book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Freaky Friday and Hercules. As a part of the recent acquisition of 21st Century Fox, DTP also heads the Buena Vista Theatrical banner which licenses Fox titles for stage adaptations including Anastasia; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; Mrs. Doubtfire and The Devil Wears Prada.
Disney Theatrical Group also delivers live shows globally through its license to Feld Entertainment, producer of Disney on Ice and Marvel Universe Live!, bringing beloved Disney stories and characters annually to over 12 million guests in nearly 50 countries worldwide. In addition, DTG licenses musical titles for local, school and community theatre productions through Music Theatre International, including The Lion King Experience, a unique holistic arts education program wherein accredited elementary and middle schools produce condensed, age-appropriate JR. and KIDS adaptations of The Lion King.
Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting theatres from around the world the rights to perform the greatest selection of musicals from Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1952 by composer Frank Loesser, and orchestrator Don Walker, MTI is a driving force in advancing musical theatre as a vibrant and engaging art form.
MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 70,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 60 countries worldwide.
MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior™ shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.
MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City (mtishows.com), with additional offices in London (MTI Europe: mtishows.co.uk, mtishows.eu), and Melbourne (MTI Australia: mtishows.com.au).
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