Creative Coyotes: Calvert students showcase The Lion King in front of school audiences

March 10, 2025

Calvert Elementary School students felt like kings and queens of the savanna this winter when they performed a popular Disney musical for the first time.
 
More than three dozen students presented The Lion King to school and community audiences in Calvert’s cafeteria. They brought characters like Mufasa, Simba and Zazu to life during the 45-minute productions. Calvert’s entire student body cheered as they watched Simba’s journey from a scared cub to the rescuer of his lion kingdom.
 
Fifth graders Kendall and Mirabelle were among 32 students who appeared on stage. Kendall performed the role of Nala and had several vocal solos, and Mirabelle helped the production with her portrayal of Ed. Both said building friendships with other students in grades three through five has been rewarding.
 
“I think the community of people is the best part of this,” Kendall said. “Everyone’s made a lot of new friends.”
 
“I just wanted to have fun and meet new people,” Mirabelle said.
 
Fellow fifth grader Sofia was one of six Coyotes on the stage crew. They made many props such as staffs with feathers and masks with images of lions, hyenas and birds. She and her classmates constructed curtains on both sides of the stage prior to the performances, and they changed the backgrounds as the storyline moved along.
 
“I like it,” Sofia said. “I don’t have to be on stage, but I get to play a big part with all of it. It’s been a lot of fun.”
 
Calvert Principal Lynnelle Giddings said The Lion King was a hot topic of conversation at the school’s lunch tables prior to the performances. Two students even created a calendar where they counted off the days until the play’s premiere.
 
“They’ve all been very excited,” Giddings said. “It’s been talked about a lot at school. There’s been a lot of ‘I’m looking forward to the play!’ and ‘How many days until the play happens?’ over the past few weeks.”
 
Calvert Community Learning Centers (CLC) School Community Coordinator Keeli Watters said The Lion King showcased Lincoln Public Schools’ goal of family and community engagement. Calvert Elementary School, Calvert CLC, Lincoln Parks and Recreation, Pinewood Bowl Theater and Omaha Performing Arts teamed up for the play. Watters joined Calvert teachers Miranda Speth-Rhodes, Leila Zila and Robin Carriere, two teaching artists from Omaha Performing Arts and a Pinewood Bowl volunteer to lead rehearsals.
 
Lincoln Parks and Recreation provided the stage and costume materials and coordinated the production, and Omaha Performing Arts and Pinewood Bowl each gave valuable input on staging requirements and steps in the rehearsal process. Pinewood Bowl also took the materials and made the set with student stage crew members.
 
“With so many moving parts, we are incredibly grateful for the support and collaboration of all the organizations involved in making this production possible,” Watters said.
 
The entire Calvert community played a role in selecting The Lion King, which is part of the Omaha Performing Arts’ Disney Musicals in Schools program. Teachers, families and students participated in the first round of voting on five play options at this fall’s open house.
 
During the second round, all Calvert students voted on three options during their music classes. After-school staff members also participated in the voting process, which ended with The Lion King as the winner.
 
Watters said she was proud of the way students worked together at rehearsals. They began learning their lines in October and held many practices over the next several months.
 
“It has been really fun watching some of the students come out of their shells and embody their characters,” Watters said. “For a lot of the kids, this is their first experience being part of a musical and participating in rehearsals, so it’s been awesome to watch them grow into the process and learn how it all comes together.”
 
Sofia and Kendall said everyone was happy with what they had been able to do. They joined their classmates at a final dress rehearsal the day before the opening show.
 
“It’s been really fun,” Kendall said. “We’ve made a lot of progress since we first started.”
 
“I think the pacing has really improved,” Sofia said. “Everyone knows where to go and how the play is supposed to look.”
 
All of their work paid off in front of students, teachers and family members. The audience kept their faces glued to the stage as they watched The Lion King unfold.
 
The musical production included many group and individual solos and spots where all 32 cast members waved their arms in the air. The audience burst into applause as hyenas chased the villain Scar off the stage in one of the final scenes, which caused many smiles from teachers and other adults.
 
Kendall said she had learned a lot from being in the play. She said her primary goal was to help people have fun as they watched the savanna-based storyline at school.
 
“I just want to show off all the hard work we’ve done,” Kendall said.
 
Visit our website https://clc.lps.org/ to learn more about Lincoln Community Learning Centers. 

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