We’re singing at the top of our lungs with excitement for the September 3rd premiere of Disney Jr.’s new musical animated series, Kindergarten: The Musical. But you don’t have to wait until Tuesday for a sneak peek behind the doors of Porter Elementary with our exclusive advance clip from the premiere episode. Watch as the show’s main character, 5-year-old Berti, experiences her first lunch break at school with her new classmates.
Each half-hour episode of Kindergarten: The Musical is split into two stories, with the series premiere titled “There’s No Place Like Kindergarten/We’re Off to Get a Sticker.” Parents may recognize both titles as plays on classic lines from MGM’s musical classic The Wizard of Oz. The clip above comes from “There’s No Place Like Kindergarten,” where Berti feels a little homesick as lunchtime begins on her first day of kindergarten.
Kindergarten: The Musical premieres Tuesday, September 3rd, at 8 am ET on Disney Jr. The first ten episodes will stream on Disney+ on Wednesday, September 4th. Learn more about the series below.
(Disney Jr.)
About “Kindergarten: The Musical”
- Kindergarten: The Musical is set at Porter Elementary and follows 5-year-old Berti and her new friends as they navigate the experiences that come with starting school for the first time
- Each episode features fantastical Broadway-style song and dance numbers that provide a peek into the kids’ imaginations. As the show transitions into the imaginations of the kids, the art style switches from CG to 2D animation.
- The series highlights themes of self-expression, developing friendships, having confidence in social situations, cultivating teamwork, the importance of imaginative play, and the power of music.
- Viewers can expect an average of 6 songs per episode.
- The songwriting team includes the tunesmiths responsible for the music from Disney Jr.’s Peabody Award-winning series Doc McStuffins, Michelle Lewis, Kay Hanley, and Dan Petty. They are joined by an additional writer, Charlton Pettus, who is also the touring guitarist and producer for Tears for Fears (“Everybody Wants to Rule the World”).
- Parents may recognize a few voices in the series, including:
- Gina Torres (Suits) as kindergarten teacher Ms. Moreno
- Ana Isabelle (West Side Story) as Berti’s Mami
- Aloe Blacc (“I Need a Dollar”) as Berti’s Papi
- Leona Lewis (“Bleeding Love”) as Hedgehog Holmes
- Vincent Rodriguez III (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as Radish’s dad.
- The series regular cast includes:
- Andrea Rosa Guzman as Berti
- Zander Chin as Radish
- Leah Newman as Rose
- Shyam Balasubramanian as Tej
- Tandi Fomukong as Abigail
- Kailen Jude as Kenji
- Randy Perrine as Jamiland
- Alice Halsey as Kat and Ellie
- Kindergarten: The Musical was created by Michelle Lewis and Charlton Pettus, who also serve as executive producers and songwriters along with Kay Hanley and Dan Petty.
- Emmy Award-nominated producer Tom Warburton (Muppet Babies) serves as executive producer and supervising director.
- Humanitas Prize winner Laurie Israel (Sofia the First) is co-executive producer and story editor.
- The main title theme song is performed by GRAMMY Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated actress and singer Eva Noblezada.
- The series is produced by Oddbot Animation in association with Disney Jr.