WISE, Va. — The Wise County Public School Summer Performing Arts Academy is in full swing for its fifth year, offering a unique opportunity for rising 5th graders to rising seniors. Over the course of three and a half weeks, students are preparing to stage a full-scale Broadway-style production of “James and the Giant Peach.”

This week, participants are busy learning the script, mastering the music, and conducting read-throughs. The culmination of their hard work will be showcased at Coeburn Middle School, with performances scheduled for Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21.

The purpose is to improve our arts programs in Wise County whether it be students actually learning new skills or teachers learning new skills. We get to put our skills together and learn from one another and take that back to our programs during the academic year, said Wise County Public School Summer Performing Arts Academy Program Director & Artistic Director, Shane Burke.

Tickets for the performances are priced at $10 for adults and $8 for children.

More information can be found here.