Disney Cruise Line Helps Home Port School Put On Performance of "101 Dalmatians"

Disney Cruise Line has teamed up with Disney Musicals In Schools, bringing a number of Disney VoluntEARS to their home port city and an elementary school to put on a performance of 101 Dalmatians.

What's Happening:

• Students from Cocoa’s Endeavour Elementary took the stage recently at the Rockledge High School auditorium for a performance of 101 Dalmatians KIDS, made possible through hands‑on guidance from Disney Cruise Line and support from Disney Musicals in Schools’ Stage Connect initiative.
• The young cast also received a surprise visit from Captain Mickey Mouse, while Disney VoluntEARS from Disney Cruise Line cheered from the audience. In a touching tribute to their hard work, the student performers were presented with handcrafted flowers created by crew members from the Disney Destiny. 
• In collaboration with local organizations, Disney Cruise Line is bringing the magic of professional entertainment into classrooms across Florida and The Bahamas, and last November - in celebration of the new Disney Destiny - they launched "Discover Your Destiny", a program designed to inspire youth and educators through exposure to creative arts experiences.
• Through this, Endeavour Elementary students and teachers got a behind-the-scenes look at the Broadway-style theater onboard the Disney Wish, were able to attend costume-making workshops with Disney experts, and the opportunity to perform for the cruise line’s crew members from across the world.  
• The success of the final performance was made possible by Disney Musicals in Schools, a program that provides free performance rights, materials, and professional development to educators.
• Endeavour Elementary was selected as one of over 70 elementary schools nationwide to participate in the inaugural launch of Stage Connect - an innovative online expansion of the Disney Musicals in Schools program - which is a free online training experience that empowers teachers with the tools and resources to produce a Disney KIDS musical.
• Through this unique program, Endeavour Elementary received free professional development, educational materials and performance rights to stage 101 Dalmatians KIDS.

What They're Saying:

• Q Jones, senior manager of corporate social responsibility, Disney Cruise Line: “At Disney Cruise Line, we believe that every student has a unique story to tell. We're proud of what the students of Endeavour Elementary have accomplished and look forward to empowering more youth in our port communities to become the next generation of storytellers through the creative arts.”
• Catherine Murphy, Principal at Endeavour Elementary: “The impact of this collaboration is profound. We have taken these kids from normal, everyday students in elementary school to incredible actors and actresses. Our students, who were hesitant at first, have really blossomed. We have watched our students really find a passion that they are willing to explore for future years to come.”
• Lisa Mitchell, director of education and audience engagement at Disney Theatrical Group: “What these students and educators accomplished is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when young people are given the opportunity to tell stories through the arts. Programs like Disney Musicals in Schools help make arts education accessible and impactful for students across the country.”    

Connecting to the Stage:

• Endeavour Elementary was one of the first schools selected from across the nation to participate in Stage Connect, a new innovative online teacher training program that brings the magic of musical theater to more kids and schools across the U.S.
• By delivering the same, high-quality, teacher professional development from the in-person program via online learning, Stage Connect removes geographic barriers and extends Disney Musicals in Schools to communities that don’t have access to the traditional program.
• The selected schools, like Endeavour Elementary, have free access and free performance rights to the following Disney Titles:
  • 101 Dalmatians
  • Aladdin
  • The Aristocats
  • Finding Nemo
  • Frozen
  • The Jungle Book
  • The Lion King
  • Winnie the Pooh
• Applications for the 2027-28 school year are expected to open in the fall of this year. Any public elementary school (including charter schools) are eligible to apply. Up to 200 schools will be selected. Recipient schools must commit a team of four teachers (or other school staff) to the program.
• Interested educators can visit DisneyMusicalsinSchools.com to apply and learn more.