Patrons of the Performing Arts

This program is funded entirely by the tuition that students pay to participate and by voluntary donations. This budget does not cover all the many needs of a theatrical production including performance rights, costumes, sets, props, supplies, etc.
Patrons of Performing Arts helps supplement this budget to ensure that Performing Arts continues to thrive at McKinley.

In 2017 Director Cate Bruce-Low (Mira, PACS ‘19, Liev, PACS ‘21, and Gigi, current McKinley 6th grader), along with a dedicated team of parent, grandparent, and student visionaries brought a magical production of The Wizard of Oz to the McKinley stage in black and white and in technicolor. Dancing Junebugs buzzed, munchkins sang, and Dorothy, Toto, and the friends they met along the way learned that there is no place like home.

Building on the excitement and enthusiasm with which the community received that first production, we staged Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2019, with 63 McKinley student performers whose characters included sea monsters, a group of 4 “Chitties’ who brought the car to life, dancing Vulgarians, and a guest appearance from the tornado from Oz.

After the McKinley stage was dark for two, sad years, we roared back with last year’s production of Disney’s The Lion King Jr. Our 4 packed-audience shows were performed by McKinley students in kindergarten through 8th grade and made possible by an amazing group of backstage crew students and a dedicated, patient, wonderful team of McKinley staff members, parents, and family members. 

Whether building the jungle vines for a Hakuna Matata moment on stage, sewing in sparkly lights for a Star cape, or beating a drum as a singing cheetah, each McKinley performing artist and crew member becomes an integral part of making the magic happen onstage. Each performance gives McKinley audiences an opportunity to be part of that community magic.

We look forward to creating rich, diverse performing arts opportunities in an equitable way for the McKinley community this year as we travel to Duloc and beyond for our upcoming production of Shrek the Musical Jr. For more information on auditioning or being a part of the backstage team for Shrek, click here. Show enrollment open through Sunday, November 6th, 2022. 

2022-2023 Schedule

  • General Rehearsal Days/Times: November 28th, 2022- Friday, February 24th, 2023 on Wednesdays 1:20-4pm & Fridays 3:20-5pm (Not all actors called to all rehearsals)
  • Off Book Date (when all lines, choreography, and blocking should be memorized): Wednesday, February 1st, 2023
  • Tech Week Rehearsals: Sunday, February 26th, 12-5 pm, 2/27-3/2, times TBA
  • Performance Dates: Friday, March 3rd @6:30pm, Saturday, March 4th@ 1:00 & 6:30pm, and Sunday, March 5th @ 1pm

Past Productions

The cast of the McKinley Performing Arts 2022 production of The Lion King Jr. performing “The Circle of Life.” Video produced by Mr. Berry.
en_USEN