Mark Weprin Brings Broadway To Local Schools

Assemblymember Mark S. Weprin poses with the cast of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown".

Assemblymember Mark S. Weprin (D-Little Neck) brought "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown", a Broadway-style show, to schools throughout his district as part of the Inside Broadway program. Through a state grant, Weprin has arranged for Inside Broadway, a professional New York Citybased children's theater company committed to producing Broadway musicals in a contemporary light for young audiences, to be part of the curriculum at elementary schools throughout his district.

Weprin often speaks about the importance of art and music in education. "Children should love going to school," Weprin said. "Programs like Inside Broadway expose students to the richness of theater, the power of music, and the joys of performance. The students who see 'You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown' will remember it for a lifetime."

As a consistent critic of the extreme emphasis on testing in public schools, Weprin believes that programs like Inside Broadway are a critical component of a well-balanced education. The emphasis on testing is turning schools into test-preparation factories that neglect physical education, art, music, and science in favor of rote test-preparation drills, he maintains. "New York City's children are going to school in the cultural capital of the world, and focusing on test preparation limits opportunities for exploring all that the city offers. The narrow focus on specific test subject matter denies students access to a broader curriculum, and Inside Broadway is helping to bring live music and dance back to our schools," he declared.