Magical stories unfold as the Disney Musicals in Schools program presented by Dee and Jimmy Haslam introduces four northeast Ohio elementary schools to the world of musical theater each year. The year one schools selected for 2025-26 include The Dike School of Arts (Cleveland), Halle School (Cleveland), The Intergenerational School – East (Cleveland) and Warner Girls’ Leadership Academy (Cleveland). These students are working hard and dreaming big, currently rehearsing for their performances.
Playhouse Square accepts applications and chooses four local elementary schools every year to house a 19-week musical theater residency that allows students to shine. Schools are equipped with performance rights, educational support materials and guidance from professional teaching artists – all at no cost to them. The teaching artists work with the classroom educators, training them to produce a musical, and create a sustainable theater program in their schools. The residency culminates in a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical at each school.
The magic doesn’t stop there – the year one schools have the opportunity to perform selections from their show on a Playhouse Square stage for an audience of friends, family and peers as part of the Student Share Celebration in early March.
Since 2015, Playhouse Square has helped establish musical theater programs at 32 schools across Cuyahoga, Lake, and Lorain counties. Applications and eligibility requirements for the 2026-27 school year are now available at playhousesquare.org/disney-musicals-in-schools.
The Disney Musicals in Schools program is an education initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Group to create ongoing theater programs in local elementary schools, specifically for third through fifth grade students. Students work in teams to develop or restore self-confidence, strengthen communication and collaboration skills all while learning and enjoying the process of creating a musical theater production.
Disney KIDS musicals, created in partnership with Music Theater International (MTI), are about 30 minutes in length and have been adapted from the classic Disney films: 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, The Aristocats, Finding Nemo, Frozen, The Jungle Book, The Lion King and Winnie the Pooh.