Thank you for being here for this performance of Disney’s The Lion King KIDS, proudly presented by 3rd, 4th and 5th graders from Encinal Elementary School and the Menlo Park City School District’s Virtual Academy!
Last year, the pandemic cancelled our performance of The Wizard of Oz one week before we opened. Those students worked so hard and were so disappointed. We knew that if a musical was going to happen this year, it needed to be something that was safe and couldn’t be cancelled. Since COVID rendered County protocols and our District's re-opening "dial" unpredictable, the safest way to put on a show was to make it entirely virtual. This format also allowed students both in the Hybrid and Virtual Academies to participate together.
Students rehearsed on Zoom with me 4 days a week for 2 months. We spent two weeks recording – and sometimes re-recording – videos on both Zoom and from home. Former Encinal Eagle and Hillview Hawk and current TIDE high schooler Micah Robinson edited all 314 videos into the performance you are about to watch.
I would like to say bravo to the 36 students who decided to go on this new adventure with me. We learned a lot along the way and were able to adapt to challenges as they arose. I am in awe of your bravery to try something new and untested, and to record yourselves for the public to see. You are doing something that I would not have been courageous enough to do when I was your age.
I also would like to thank the parents for putting up with all of my emails and ParentSquare posts, especially as I was nagging for recordings, and for your ability to maintain your composure while filming your children. Especial thanks to Sara Teeple and Chris Goudey for being my creative sounding board during this project.
I would like to give a huge shout out to Yaeger Residential Brokerage for sponsoring the production so that we could offer free stream codes and stream codes discounted to 1920s-post-pandemic prices (15¢). This musical program is only available because of generous donations and ticket and concession sales. So thank you all for your support and for providing this opportunity to students.
Please sit back and enjoy your concessions. And now, on with the show!!!
~ Rachel Knight
