Kimmel Center's ONE MUSICAL PHILADELPHIA Unites 15 Philly Schools For Student One Performance

The Kimmel Center is proud to announce its new education initiative One Musical Philadelphia, a musical theater program uniting 5th graders from across Philadelphia. This pilot year, students from 15 schools will gather to perform a student version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella for one-night-only on Thursday, March 21 at 6:30 PM. The performance is a culmination of an 8-week residency led by Kimmel Center Teaching Artists and high-school aged students from the Kimmel Center's ShowStoppers AllStars education program and One Musical Philadelphia's public debut as part of the Center's expanded education offerings. This event was originally timed in conjunction with the Kimmel Center's Broadway Philadelphia presentation of the national tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella at the Academy of Music from February 22 - 24, 2019, but was rescheduled due to inclement weather.

"We are thrilled to host our inaugural class of One Musical Philadelphia students as they showcase all they've learned over 8 weeks through our expanded education program and expansive collaboration with city schools to produce a full musical production!" said Ed Cambron, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. "Arts education enriches a child's life and overall wellbeing, seeping into other areas of development beyond the classroom; as we continue to fulfill the Kimmel Center's vision to transform lives daily through the arts, we know programs like this are instrumental in not only honing skills, but building confidence and engaging with others in community."

In addition to acquiring skills in singing and dancing, One Musical Philadelphia aims to foster teamwork, tolerance, and empathy in every student as they work with their peers to devise pieces of musical theater. Following introductory in-school workshops, 2019's students from 15 schools across Philadelphia self-selected to participate in the 8-week residency, leading to after-school rehearsals led by Kimmel Center Teaching Artists and high-school aged students from the Kimmel Center's ShowStoppers AllStars education program. Each participating school learned different sections of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, and the sections will be combined in the final performance. Each school was supported with music, props, and costumes.

This year's One Musical Philadelphia program concludes with 16 total performances: in-school assemblies at each school where students perform for their families and school community, followed by a large-scale production of the entire musical where students from all participating schools perform on the Kimmel Center's Perelman Theater stage. For the finale performance, the Kimmel Center will provide community busses, offering FREE transportation to and from each neighborhood school to the Center for all family members wanting to attend.

50 students from the One Musical Philadelphia program performed prior to opening night of the Kimmel Center's Broadway Philadelphia Rodgers + Hammerstein Cinderella run at the Academy of Music - on Friday, February 22.

One Musical Philadelphia is part of "Creative Stages" at the Kimmel Center; which includes multiple educational programs during school year and summer months for students, including Jazz4Freedom, Creative Music Program for Jazz, ShowStoppers Musical Theater Program, and Community Partnerships. With focuses in jazz and musical theater, our programs are designed to provide a broad performing arts experience to all 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students with special opportunities occurring for older students with high levels of interest.

Philadelphia schools participating in One Musical Philadelphia include:

• Alliance for Progress Charter School
• Blessed Trinity
• General Philip Kearny Elementary School
• Hon. Luis Munoz-Marin Elementary School
• Henry C. Lea Elementary School
• James Logan School
• La Salle Academy
• Lewis C. Cassidy Academics Plus School
• Mastery Charter Harrity School
• Mastery Charter Thomas Elementary
• Resurrection Regional Catholic
• St Thomas Aquinas
• St Veronica
• Thomas G Morton Elementary School
• W. D. Kelley School

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