The Providence Performing Arts Center Announces Five New Schools Selected For Disney Musicals In Schools Program

The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) is pleased to announce the five Providence public elementary schools that have been selected to participate in the 2019 - 2020 Disney Musicals in Schools program. The program is an initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Group to create sustainable theater programs in public elementary schools. The five schools include:

Alan Shawn Feinstein Elementary School

Robert L. Bailey, IV Elementary

Harry Kizirian Elementary School

Carl G. Lauro Elementary School

Webster Ave Elementary School

The selected schools will begin a 17-week musical theater residency in January 2020. Each school will receive performance rights, education support materials, and guidance from two PPAC 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 the PPAC stage for an audience of students, teachers, family, and community members.

This is the first year that the Providence Public School District is participating in the Disney Musicals in Schools program. PPAC previously announced that the Theatre received a grant from Disney to fund two years of programming. Five Providence public elementary schools have been selected for the 2019 - 2020 academic year, and another five schools will be selected for the 2020 - 2021 academic year.

Using the unique world of musical theatre, 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 theatre, 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 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, The Aristocats, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Winnie the Pooh, and Frozen.

The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) presents a full roster of touring Broadway productions and contemporary engagements. PPAC has been the theatre of choice in launching nineteen National Tours. This Season includes family-friendly shows, like Disney's ALADDIN, Dr. Seuss' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical, BLUE MAN GROUP, and THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL. PPAC will also have its first sensory-friendly performance, THE ACROBATS OF CIRQUE-TACULAR in November 2019; this show is free and open to all ages!

PPAC is a 3100-seat, world class venue located in the heart of Providence's arts and entertainment district; it is the second largest theatre of its kind in the country. PPAC is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has also been ranked by Pollstar as one of the Top Venues in the world.

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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