At Kaufman Music Center’s five-week Summer Musical Theater Workshop, kids participate in all aspects of producing a show, which culminates in a full-scale production in Merkin Concert Hall. Professional theater directors, writers and composers work with groups of kids age 5-15 on seven brand new, original musicals inspired by a theme.
The children, who represent a diverse and enthusiastic group of NYC’s youngest theater fans, will star in the musicals in three performances at Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Concert Hall. Broadway theater is a powerful educational tool. Musical theater can be a potent form of expression because it combines so many elements – visual, music, dance and song. It’s a way of telling a story and captivating for children. It is important for children to be acquainted with a vibrant part of their heritage, and also to inspire them to participate in an art form they themselves can be part of, by acting, singing, dancing or writing. It is important for children to get away from their computers and video games and see live theater, he emphasizes. Introducing children to the arts is especially crucial at a time when education is increasingly narrowed down to testable functions. Theater gets kids interested and helps them understand life in a different way than, say, learning math and reading skills. Kids can be literate, but their imaginations can be starving.
The 2018 Summer Musical Theater Workshop at Kaufman Music Center’s Lucy Moses School runs from July 2 through August 2, 2018, Mon-Thu, 10 am-4 pm. Final performances in Merkin Concert Hall: Tue, July 31, 6:30 pm & Wed, Aug 1, 10:30 am & 6:30 pm.
– Sean Hartley, Summer Musical Theater Workshop and Broadway Playhouse
Source Exceptional Parent Magazine
