Broadway their way

By Mary Alice Garrett

This story originally appeared June 9, 2005 in The News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware.

BRANDYWINE HUNDRED — The 410 very young performers delivered on a promise of a Broadway-caliber show.

Music teacher Darrin Peters knew it was a stretch to produce "Schoolhouse Rock" with 5- to 10 year-olds, but he has high expectations. His students at Carrcroft Elementary School met the challenge. In the process, they discovered innovative ways to learn their academic subjects.

"We wanted to do something a little different — a joint venture with Mount Pleasant High School," said Carrcroft principal Carol Norman. "It has been an adventure. You cannot go to New York and get a better show that the one you’re going to see today," Norman told the overflow family crowd in the Mount Pleasant auditorium.

The recent performance was patterned after the 1970s TV show "Schoolhouse Rock," which many of the students’ parents grew up watching. It was a spirited, two-hour performance that featured every kindergartner through third-grader plus the Mount Pleasant Chorale and a few adult musicians.

From lively numbers about the parts of speech to the Preamble to the Constitution and interplanetary travel, the show had it all. In the process, the students got a taste of showbiz from Peters, a veteran of area theater productions. To get the students’ attention, Peters led them in a rhythmic clapping. To project their voices, he said, "Sing loudly, Sing loudly." To bow, he said, "down two three, up two three." They responded with precision.

The opening number was about verbs followed by numbers about nouns, conjunctions and even interjections. Youngsters held up signs of verbs (to be, to see, to feel, to live) while chorus members swayed back and forth. "A noun is a person, place or thing," they yelled. As Peters ran from side to side, the students wiggled their hips in Chubby Checker fashion.

"Every person you know. Every place you know. A noun is a special word. It’s anything you’ve ever heard." "Conjunction Junction" was a high-energy number which Peters said had never gone right in rehearsal. It began with all the performers facing backward with their hands in the air. "Conjunction junction, conjunction junction, what’s your function?" Soon signs reading "and, or, and but" went up. It ended with foot-stomping, a big "Oh, yeah!" and loud applause.

Adverbs were promoted in a patriotic style with a group of second—graders wearing red, white and blue vests and matching hats. "We have every word here in the book, so come on down and take a look." It ended with signs saying, "enrich your language with adverbs. Absolutely free."

Kindergartners reminded everyone "to unpack your adjectives" while taking an imaginary trip. ‘Adjectives are words used to really describe things," they said in unison. Second—graders talked about multiples of three while third-graders took on the figure eight.

In the second number, children on roller blades zoomed across stage with signs of "2 times 8" while other skaters returned with a signs of "16." They were ably backed up by soloists Michael Frazier, Vincent Pannella and Donald McCray.

The entire cast performed a spirited number about counting to 100 by fives. "It’s OK to count on your fingers," they sang. During the number the kindergartners filed out quietly then ran back in for the closing.

All the students, the chorale and a small band combined for a number on the preamble to the Constitution. As the chorale sang, the youngsters recited — by heart — the preamble. Every performer waved a small American flag for an impressive finish. "Great job," Peters said, telling them to take a bow.

A timely number on a congressional bill was depicted by all the first-grade classes. Kindergartners were featured in "Elbow Room" about the westward expansion of American colonists.

"Victim of Gravity," a 1950s dance, was a show-stopper. With third-grade girls in poodle skirts and boys in black leather jackets, they brought back the jitterbug. A number about the solar system, “Interplanet Janet," however, was the most entertaining of all. Using "black light," third-graders in black commencement robes held replicas of the solar system which glowed in the dark. Meanwhile, chorus members held flashlights to their chins. "There’s never been a planet Janet hasn’t seen," the chorus sang, adding that people on Earth looked so strange "that Janet didn’t bother to go there."

"We were dancing in the dark," said Jabbar Vaughn, 10, a third—grader. Classmates Marquice Houston and Korey Bishop, both 10, and Marcus Smith, 9, held up the planets. Marcus noted that even their tennis shoes glowed in the dark.

"It was awesome," said PTA co-president Kim Mathews. "I grew up with "Schoolhouse Rock," so it was kind of fun to relive the songs." Mathews said her son, Bailey, 6, had practiced the songs and arm movements at home.

"Mr Peters always puts on a great production," added Laura Andreas whose sons, Steven, 7, and Matthew 9, were in the show When asked how he has such good control over his young students, Peters said he has high expectations for them. "I make my music classes very active, hands-on. I use my theater skills, so they never know what to expect."

Peters is also the music teacher at Lancashire Elementary School. He promised two more seasonal shows at Carrcroft for the 2005-06 school year.