Which would you prefer- learning from a book, or from a singing and dancing troupe of actors who interact with you? The latter sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
That is exactly what we do with our Musical Interactive program, which travels to schools across the state of Oklahoma.We think that impacting children with the arts at a young age is extremely important, so we began this fabulous arts outreach program in 2007.
But what does an Musical Interactive performance look like? First, you need some classic songs from amazing shows, like “Oh! What a Beautiful Morning” and “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” from OKLAHOMA!, or “Favorite Son” and “Give a Man Enough Rope” from THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES. In between these songs, you add in dialogue that is entertaining and (shhhh) educational. Students hear about the subject matter of the material, such as Oklahoma’s history, or the birth of the United States of America, as well as the play and its authors. And, you can’t forget the actual interaction with students, where students become a part of the show too! Kids love it, and so do their teachers. Musical Interactive provides an excellent reinforcement for material taught in the classroom, and in a different style than the children receive in the classroom. In addition, each student recieves a study guide with facts, puzzles, and games relating to the material covered in the Musical Interactive performance.
A student and actor together during a Oklahoma! Interactive performance
Thanks to Devon Energy Corporation’s underwriting, as well as supporters such as The Kirkpatrick Foundation, Inc., Allied Arts Education Grant, Oklahoma Arts Council, Sonic, America’s Drive-In, The McGee Foundation and Wilshire Charitable Foundation, we are able to provide this program free of charge to schools around the state of Oklahoma! Last year, Lyric’s arts outreach program visited 84 schools and served more than 34,000 students. This program has impacted over 44 counties in its 5 year history.
We are very proud that we can support this unique learning opportunity for thousands of students around the state of Oklahoma. Reaching children with the performing arts is fun for us, and fun for the kids.
Are you interested in bringing Musical Interactive to your school? Visit this page on our website.