The Lion King, Jr.
Jake Fairbairn (Young Simba), Josh Padgett (Mufasa), Emma Williams (Rafiki) and Laurel Hand (Zazu).
Under the direction of creative Crestline music teachers Laura Butler and Janet Nelson, all 121 Crestline sixth graders recently performed Disney’s The Lion King Jr.
Crestline was among one of the first schools to tackle this production since the script was just released in January. Students auditioned for parts, and many of the lead roles were double cast due to the large number of talented students in this class. Practices were held before school and during music classes for several months to prepare for the five performances that were shared with Crestline parents and students.
Parents and sixth-grade students voluntarily worked at the school alongside the music teachers for four Saturdays to design and build the elaborate set and constructing realistic costumes for each student. Then, before each show, parents and sixth grade teachers worked together to paint the faces of the entire cast.
“This experience, which was only possible with administrative support, allowed our students to discover many of their own gifts in a way that sends them off to junior high with a deep sense of what they can accomplish working collaboratively,” music teacher Janet Nelson said.
