Frequently Asked Questions

The goals of Disney Musicals in Schools are to:

• Create sustainable musical theater programs in public elementary schools.
• Provide school faculty with the training and tools necessary to support student performance and production, and to empower them to do so.
• Develop a critical awareness and appreciation of the arts within the school.
• Develop a strong community including students, parents, faculty, staff, and neighbors.
• Expose students and school faculty to the wide spectrum of skills that are developed when producing a piece of musical theater, including: critical thinking, problem solving, ensemble building, communication, self-confidence, and interpersonal skills.

Disney Musicals in Schools is carefully structured to provide a school team with the professional development necessary to support student theater productions in future years. By providing high-quality, in-depth support, teachers are equipped to continue producing a show year after year.

Successful “graduates” of the Disney Musicals in Schools program are invited to participate in two years of continued programming. In the second year, schools are again granted performance rights, a free standard ShowKit to a Disney KIDS musical, and continued professional development. Schools in the third year of the program receive a discount toward a Disney KIDS ShowKit and continued professional development opportunities to take their skills to the next level. Third Year Schools need not produce a Disney musical, but must continue with another musical theater performance, in order to continue with the professional development opportunities.

The Disney Musicals in Schools: Stage Connect application is available to any public elementary school in the United States.  Up to 200 public elementary schools will be selected to participate each year.

Some schools may be eligible to participate in the in-person Disney Musicals in Schools Residency program. Find out if your area has a local provider.

The program is not available to higher grades or organizations that are not public elementary schools.

Disney Musicals in Schools features Disney KIDS musicals—30-minute stage adaptions of classic Disney stories written expressly for elementary school performers. Teachers will access Stage Connect to guide them and their students through the rehearsal process. At the end of the program, schools perform a fully produced half hour musical using the skills they learned.

For any questions specifically regarding Stage Connect, please email us.

Disney Musicals in Schools is available in select cities across the country. Click here to see if Disney Musicals in Schools is available in your community. The local professional arts organization that offers the program will select a limited number of public elementary schools in designated districts through an application process. Each city may have additional eligibility qualifications. Contact your local Disney Musicals in Schools provider to see if your school is eligible for the program.

Disney Musicals in Schools features Disney KIDS musicals—30-minute stage adaptions of classic Disney stories written expressly for elementary school performers. For 17 weeks, professional Teaching Artists visit the school once a week for a 90-minute rehearsal to guide teachers and students through the rehearsal process. Schools are responsible for holding an additional 90-minute rehearsal each week without the presence of the Teaching Artists. Over time, the Teaching Artists will transition more responsibility to the school teachers, until the teachers are self-sufficient in the rehearsal process. At the end of the program, schools perform a fully produced half hour musical and participate in a culminating Student Share showcase at the professional arts organization’s venue.

Disney Musicals in Schools Residencies are offered through non-profit professional arts organizations in communities across the country. Contact your local arts organization to inquire about Disney Musicals in Schools Residencies in your community, or if you are a representative from a professional arts organization complete this form for additional information.