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Woke LA censors beloved history musicals after Native American complaint – then Texas swoops in

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It was a typical school day in December 1995.  I was teaching fifth grade. The topic was the Constitutional Convention. 

Fifteen minutes into the lesson, it was clear that I was losing my audience. Too many names. Too much talk. Too many abstract concepts about the machinery of government.

It was then that I had the epiphany. Make it a musical. Get the kids up and moving. Let them sing, dance, and debate their way through the most consequential summer in American history.  

The theatrical elements were all there: one room, a cast of famous characters, lots of conflict, huge stakes. 

Armed with my history degree, my piano training and my lifelong interest in musical theater, I began writing the book and lyrics. I recruited my piano teacher, Bill Augustine, to write the music. 

By April 1996, we had a draft. The principal approved a pilot program with my class of 30 students. With Booster Club funds, I hired a choreographer from a local dance studio. We rehearsed for 90 minutes on Thursday mornings. 

“Miracle in Philadelphia” had its first performance in early June 1996. It went over so well that, the next school year, the program was expanded to include all four fifth-grade classes, each with its own cast and its own performance date. Parents got involved, some helping with props, backdrops, costumes and the bake sale at intermission. Others who played instruments joined me in the show band. Among them were several studio musicians and the harpist for the LA Philharmonic. 

The excitement and the learning generated by the performances made me wonder, “Why limit this kind of teaching to just one historical event?”

Two years later, Bill and I wrote a second show, “Hello Louisiana,” about the Lewis and Clark........

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