'Aladdin, Jr.' at Independent Day School-Corbett Campus

Get ready to visit Agrabah, City of Enchantment, where every beggar has a story and every camel has a tail, as the fourth and fifth grade Warriors' Pride Chorus at Independent Day School-Corbett Campus performs Disney's Aladdin, Jr.

Performances featuring two different casts will take place today and on Tuesday, April 3 in the school's Farish Center. Evening shows at 7 p.m. are open to the public. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $5.

Aladdin, Jr. is under the direction of IDS-CC music teacher Michael LeBlanc and features 54 student performers.

"We selected Aladdin, Jr. because most students are familiar with the story and can easily relate to it," said LeBlanc. "In addition, this version features a large number of roles. We had more than 30 students audition for speaking parts and were able to provide every student with an opportunity to shine."

LeBlanc said that during the first half of the school year, Warriors' Pride focuses on choral singing aimed at strengthening the voices and skills of young singers. The second half of the year, he offers a musical theatre experience to help stretch students' abilities and provide an opportunity for them to take their performance skills to a higher level.

"It's a healthy balance between the two singing styles that prepares students to continue with musical theatre in middle school, if that's what they choose to do," he said. "For some students, this is just the beginning of something they will want to be involved with for a long time because it's their passion."

The Warriors’ Pride chorus is one of many opportunities students at IDS-CC have to explore music.

All students participate in musical activities twice a week while learning music fundamentals and exploring music of many cultures and historical periods. Students who choose to take their musical experience to more advanced levels can join the Warriors’ Pride Chorus (fourth and fifth grades), The Spirit of IDS Chorus (third grade), Middle School Musical Theatre (sixth through eighth grades), or Beginning and Advanced Bands (fifth through eighth grades).

IDS-CC is located at 12015 Orange Grove Drive in Carrollwood. The Farish Center is wheel-chair accessible, and there is ample free parking.