4/28/2023
Education and Outreach
Elementary Schools Create Sustainable Theater Programs with The Smith Center’s Disney Musicals in Schools Initiative
When Jeff Schaber helped implement Disney Musicals in Schools as vice principal at a Kentucky school, he decided something quickly.
When he became principal of a school one day, he knew, he wanted to bring the same program there.
“I saw this big sense of community it created,” he remembers. “I saw the smiles and the families’ happiness.”
So when Schaber became principal of Lewis E. Rowe Elementary School in Las Vegas, he made good on his plan – with some help from The Smith Center.
As a nonprofit, The Smith Center serves as one of many organizations nationwide that provide the Disney Musicals in Schools program, which helps at-risk elementary schools create their own musical-theater programs.
At no cost to schools, the center’s teaching artists train educators on all aspects of putting on their inaugural production, including teaching kids how to sing, dance and act.
Schaber knew that working with The Smith Center to launch this program at Rowe Elementary would benefit students, by promoting teamwork and self-esteem.
“It builds the belief that ‘I can do it,’” he says.
But it didn’t happen overnight.
His school faced various obstacles — especially from the pandemic. Yet Schaber and the school staff never lost faith.
“It was a great success story, because our team was just so good and they worked so well together,” he says.
Delays from the Pandemic
Students felt excited to perform in “101 Dalmatians” as Rowe Elementary’s inaugural production through Disney Musicals in Schools.
But they had to wait an entire year to do so, due to the lockdown of the pandemic.
“We were disappointed,” concedes Schaber, an arts enthusiast from his years as a choreographer for top competitive cheerleading programs.
But the staff also felt a little relieved, he admits.
With the delay, they wouldn’t have to attempt putting on a show in the midst of numerous pandemic-related restrictions, he points out, with the added possibility that many students and teachers wouldn’t be able to participate.
“This gave us more time to plan, and made it so that COVID would be another year behind us,” he says.
Diving Into Hard Work
Once schools reopened, the staff at Rowe Elementary found that putting on the school’s first-ever theater production posed a few challenges.
“I know that they knew it would be a lot, but I’m not so sure they knew how much ‘a lot’ was,” Schaber says with a laugh.
But everyone dived into the work. The teachers embraced the hour-and-a-half rehearsals that followed their full days of teaching. Numerous staff members helped in crafting hand-made costumes.
“It was a very collaborative process,” Schaber says. “Our (teaching artists) from The Smith Center were the absolute best — super supportive.”
And the students themselves truly stepped up to polish their choreography and singing, he adds, making their opening night worthy of a standing ovation.
“They made it so good, and they worked so hard,” Schaber says.
Students Blossoming through Theater
Bringing Disney Musicals in Schools to Rowe Elementary “has definitely been a big help” for students, Schaber says.
He lauds how the theater program has “completely changed” some students’ behavior and academic success.
“They can’t participate (in the theater program) if they’re not doing their work. They can’t participate if their behavior isn’t up to par,” he explains. “We have some kids in here who had behavior problems, and are no longer having behavior problems.”
Many participating students grew from shy to outgoing, he notes, including some who struggled socially after returning from distance learning.
“We’re still on that rebound of trying to get kids to come out of their shell (after the pandemic),” he says. “For some of these kids, it has been a huge turn around for them.”
Many students look forward to participating in next year’s production, he adds.
“All of these kids and their families are in it to win it,” he says. “We’re really looking forward to year two.”
LEARN MORE
To learn more about The Smith Center’s Disney Musicals in Schools program, CLICK HERE.