Overture Center Reveals New School Selected For Disney Musicals in Schools Program

A new Madison-area middle school has been selected to participate in the 2025 Disney Musicals in Schools program at Overture Center—Ray F. Sennett Middle School. The program is an initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Group to create sustainable theater programs in under-resources schools. Two years ago, Overture expanded its elementary-level program, creating a middle school theater program to ensure students can sing, dance, act and work backstage on musicals from elementary school all the way through high school (in The Jerrys program) and beyond. 

Previous participating schools, all part of the Madison Metropolitan School District, are continuing to produce musicals in their schools this year.  

Elementary Schools: 

Hawthorne Elementary School 

Henderson Elementary School 

Leopold Community School 

Nuestro Mundo Community School 

Mendota Elementary School 

Middle Schools: 

Sennett Middle School – New participant! 

Akira Toki Middle School 

Whitehorse Middle School 

Sennett Middle School will begin a musical theater residency this month. Each first-year school receives performance rights, educational support materials and guidance from two teaching artists. The program features a professional development focus, through which participating schoolteachers partner with Overture Center teaching artists to learn how to produce, direct, choreograph and music direct, culminating in their first 60-minute Disney JR musical at their school. As a capstone to the experience, Overture Center hosts a Middle School Showcase in which each school performs one number from their show on Capitol Theater stage for an audience of students, teachers, family and community members. 

Last year, five elementary schools and two middle schools successfully participated in the program, with 432 students and several schoolteachers working together to create a culture of musical theater at their schools. Overture Center is among 18 arts organizations in the world collaborating with Disney Musicals in Schools.  

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.