Follow the music: Local students lead the way in ‘Pied Piper’ performance this Saturday

Pied PIper Rehearsals at Parley's Park Elementary. Top from left: Rowan Olson, Livia Kesse, Patrick Dougherty, Charlotte Rubell, Margaret Velardo Bottom from left: Abby Faig, June Osorio, Libby Long, Amelia Evans. Photo: Parley’s Park PTA // Lindsay Capoccia

PARK CITY, Utah — Parley’s Park Elementary School students will present “The Pied Piper,” an original musical adaptation of the classic tale, on Saturday, March 29, at the Eccles Theater at Park City High School.

The production features 40 students from kindergarten through fifth grade who auditioned Monday and have been rehearsing daily after school. Performances will be held at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., with free admission and no tickets required.

The weeklong theater residency is sponsored by the Parley’s Park PTA and conducted by the Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT), the nation’s largest touring children’s theater.

MCT has been touring for more than 50 years, from Montana to Japan, and will visit nearly 1,000 communities this year. The touring team arrives with all production elements — set, lights, costumes and props — and casts local students after an open audition.

“Creativity, social skills, goal achievement, communication skills and self-esteem are all characteristics that are attained through the participation in this unique, educational project,” according to MCT.

Based in Missoula, Montana, the organization also conducts local programs including musical theater day camps, performing arts classes, a sleep-away Performing Arts Camp, and a Community Series for local talent of all ages.

The performance offers an opportunity for local children to experience live theater and be inspired by their peers on stage.

For more information about the Missoula Children’s Theatre, visit their website.