The Segerstrom Center for the Arts recently announced details for the 13th season of its Disney Musicals in Schools program, which will provide free musical theater residencies to four Orange County elementary schools.
For the 2026-27 program, these 17-week residencies will take place at Hansen Elementary in the Savanna School District, Taft Elementary in the Orange Unified School District, Parkview Elementary in the Garden Grove Unified School District, and Paul Revere Elementary in the Anaheim Elementary School District, according to information released by the Segerstrom Center.
The program, which the center first launched in 2014, pairs teaching artists from the Segerstrom Center with Title I elementary schools. Their mission is to assist students, teachers, and school staff in producing 30-minute Disney KIDS musicals.
These teaching artists work weekly with school teams, offering professional development and direct instruction in areas like directing, choreography, music direction, and stage management, officials explained. The stated goal is to equip schools with the necessary tools to continue their musical theater offerings even after the residency concludes.
Lisa Petersen, vice president of education and engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, emphasized the program's broader impact. Petersen said Disney Musicals in Schools reflects "the transformative power of the arts in a student’s life," helping students gain confidence, creativity, communication, and teamwork abilities that reach beyond the stage. She added that the center is proud to partner with schools, fostering meaningful experiences and uniting communities through the shared joy of the arts.
The 2026-27 season officially began on September 9 with an orientation event. This initial gathering featured hands-on theater-making activities with teaching artists, the announcement of each school’s selected musical, and a comprehensive overview of the program, the center stated.
School residencies are slated to commence in October and will culminate with a Student Share Celebration scheduled for 5 p.m. on March 10, 2027.
Over its 13-year history, the Segerstrom Center’s program has served 45 elementary schools across 16 different school districts, according to the center. Annually, it reaches more than 200 new students and involves 22 new teachers. Alumni schools are also offered invitations to ongoing professional development sessions.
Notably, the Segerstrom Center highlighted that most Orange County schools participating since the program's inception in 2014 have successfully maintained musical theater programs on their campuses afterward. The Segerstrom Center stands as one of only 25 organizations in the United States and the United Kingdom that provides the Disney Musicals in Schools program.