Musicals for Change Favorite 

Musicals for Change is a project aimed at educating elementary children to be active participants in the world through theater. Written by Diane Beckstead, these musicals promote uplifting messages about the importance of community, the arts, and helping each other, while raising support for worthy causes.

Several productions are based on award-winning books, such as “Good Times on Grandfather Mountain” by Jacqueline Briggs-Martin, and “Three Pebbles and A Song” by Eileen Spinelli. These authors, who were often consulted during the development of the scripts, have enthusiastically endorsed the musical adaptations of their books. The children who have performed in these musicals experience the joy inherent in each story, and are sometimes surprised to find that the messages they communicate can actually motivate audiences to action.

This is a powerful learning experience for a child, and an ideal way to draw support for organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, Habitat for Humanity, and Heifer Project International. Adults who don’t respond to typical awareness campaigns are often moved to action by the power of theater and the earnest voices of their own children. Music teachers, theater groups, and church leaders search constantly for new shows that are well-written and uplifting, but the choices are few. Through Musicals for Change, there is material available that truly makes a difference to both young performers and the audiences who support them.