MILWAUKEE -- Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts students are putting on FAME Jr the Musical.
This production is thanks to Milwaukee Public School's Turnaround Arts Program. This national program brings arts educational resources into Priority- and Focus-designated schools as a strategic tool for targeting larger school challenges and opportunities.
Turnaround's Resident Program Director Jarahn Leveston says the students continue to grow and amaze him and themselves.
Leveston says Fame Jr is the second project this year, earlier a handful of children went to perform an original piece at the National Turnaound Arts Talent Show in Washington D.C.
"They get to see what trying gets them," explains Leveston. "Well hey, I learned this choreography for my musical. If I just tried this in math or if I tired this in science, I can get the same results."
This is the second year Turnaround has been at Roosevelt, putting on their second musical. The first show was the Lion King with a cast of 12 kids. Students like eighth-grader Mariah Conners had to double or triple up on character roles. While it was initially a lot to take on, Conners says the whole experience was worth a second year.
Conners' fellow eighth-grader Adrianna Blake says she loves theater and plans to do more acting in the future. Blake says the whole cast, which has grown to 30 students, really got into the music because Fame Jr is similar to life at Roosevelt.
Show times for Fame Jr will be at Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on April 18th, 19th and May 4th. The school is asking for a $2 donation for tickets and they're also selling shirts.
