Broadway and Disney have nothing on George M. Davis Jr. Elementary School!
The recent performances of Beauty and the Beast showcased the talents of 120 students. A little more than half comprised the Chorus Ensemble made up of kindergarteners, first-graders, and second-graders. Students in grades three through five filled assigned roles.
Auditions for the show began in March, with rehearsals soon after. This effort was a relaunch of the originally planned production in March 2020, which was shelved due to the onset of the pandemic. This spring’s hard work and dedication paid off not only with terrific shows, but with a huge outpouring of support from families and the community. The May 20 show sold all of the 440 seats available, and the May 21 show was just short of a sellout.
The show’s magic was generously supported and sponsored by the Davis PTA. It was directed and choreographed by Anne Conneely and Jordan Singer of Cast Party Productions. That magic, and that inspiration, will long stay with students, said Davis’ proud principal, Anthony Bambrola.
“Students, at young ages, need opportunities to be on stage and be in the spotlight,” he said. “We want to create opportunities for young students to walk away from these experiences and inspire potential paths through the arts. We want to cultivate opportunities to collaborate with others and to build confidence. Opportunities like this do exactly that."
Experience a portion of the performance at this video: https://bit.ly/3NwCFCg.