Disney’s 'Lion King Jr.' comes to life with the Santa Cruz Shoestring Kids. Last summer at CPAC’s theater camp, 26 student actors all under the age of 17 spent two weeks discovering the art of musical theater with camp director Regina Ford and musical director Claire Corlett Brown.

 

The young actors learned about costuming, stage makeup, set and prop design as well as singing solo and in an ensemble. Choreography was also part of the show and the kids learned to work as artistic team. With musical numbers like 'Circle of Life' and 'I Just Can’t Wait to be King,' the kids learned that no one person can make the show…it takes them all joining in together with two weeks to learn the script for the final production.

What’s even more impressive is the amount of fun the actors had playing African animals like lions, wildebeests, meerkats, and warthogs, as well as hyenas.They are already asking about next summer’s theater camp when we will stage Ronald Dahl’s 'Matilda' with a strong leading female role.