Featuring iconic songs such as “I’m Just a Bill,” “Interjections!,” “Conjunction Junction” and “The Preamble,” these energetic short segments have entertained and educated generations of children. Now, Theatre-at-Tusculum is bringing these and several other songs from this beloved series to the Behan Arena Theatre at Tusculum University for six shows in April.
“Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.,” directed by Beth Schnura, will feature a cast of 27 from ages 8-18, along with the talents of the Theatre-at-Tusculum staff and community volunteers. Schnura grew up watching these segments, so this production is a labor of love.
“These songs are a part of many people’s lives, and it helped them get through school,” said Schnura, who also serves as director of Tusculum Arts Outreach. “It was education in a fun format. Children might not have even realized how much they were learning by watching these beautifully crafted segments. We are thrilled to help people relive that special time in their lives and introduce these songs to anyone who might not have experienced them.”
The musical is about a school teacher named Tom who is preparing to teach his first day of school. He is nervous and second-guessing why he entered the profession because he fears he will not be well received.
“He decides he has a few minutes to sit back and watch television, and ‘School House Rock’ starts to play,” Schnura said. “He begins to watch it, and the characters come out of the television. They give him a pep talk, letting him know he has all of the knowledge to teach – in part because of what he learned as a child from ‘Schoolhouse Rock.’ They let him know he can use that information to teach his students.”
Schnura said anyone who has watched the segments will be ready for what transpires in “Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.” She said the performances will bring the cartoons to life in a fun way using a lot of bright colors. The cast will have some interaction with the audience, and those in the seats will have some opportunities to sing along at certain moments in the show.
Original source can be found here
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