A North Burnaby elementary school teacher is bringing Broadway to The Heights with his youth musical theatre society, Moving Mirror Productions.
Ryan Phelps, a music teacher at Gilmore Community School, launched Moving Mirror in early 2015 after noticing a lack of after-school drama and music opportunities for youth in the area.
“The kids in this neighbourhood have extraordinary talent and want to be involved in programs such as these,” he said
Phelps has been passionate about performing arts since he was a child, leading him to pursue music and education degrees at UBC. He has since directed two musicals at Rosser Elementary. Phelps decided to leap into starting his own production society after attending the iTheatrics Junior Musical Theatre Festival in Atlanta, Ga. last year.
“It really gave me the energy to look at creating something of my own,” he said.
Phelps has now opened registration for the society’s first full-fledged, Broadway-style production, Aladdin Jr., following the success of Moving Mirror’s intro to musical theatre course. Registration launched in early May and the program is at 50 per cent capacity.
Phelps says he’s seen firsthand how participating in musicals can help kids boost their confidence and hopes even more students sign up to give Aladdin Jr. a try.
“Seeing my students shine in a way I hadn’t seen them shine before was a treat,” he said. “Just seeing the smiles on their faces after the standing ovation (at Moving Mirror’s last performance) was great for me to see.”
The condensed, 60-minute production of Aladdin will teach students the theatrical, dramatic, musical and movement techniques typical of a Broadway production. The program lasts seven months, from September to April, and classes are every Monday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Gilmore Community School. To register, visit: www.movingmirrorproductions.com/register
