The Emmy Award-winning FOX TV show Glee is a cultural phenomenon, and it’s making musical theater cool. According to the San Francisco Arts Education Project, they’re seeing an incredible increase in the number of kids who want to be involved in their musical theater programs. They’re calling it the Glee effect.
During a six-week summer camp session, the musical theater company saw a record 60 students participate in the creation of a staged concert production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, performed with the UC Berkeley Summer Symphony. And SFArtsED Players, a youth musical theater troupe for ages 9 to 15, is as big as it has been in nearly a decade with 54 kids. Also a record number of boys were involved – 21 – which, given the history of musical theater programs, is an impressive participation level.
Credit the Glee effect.
