Video: Students Displaced by Eaton Fire to Perform SHREK THE MUSICAL JR. at the Ahmanson Theatre

A group of young performers from Altadena will take the stage at the Ahmanson Theatre on Friday, April 18, after losing their campus theater and, for some, their homes in the recent Eaton Fire.

Fifty-five students from Altadena Eliot Arts Magnet Elementary and Middle Schools will present Shrek the Musical Jr. in front of a sold-out audience.

"It feels really good. I'm really excited," said Jolie Simmons, who plays Princess Fiona in the production.

Simmons is one of several students who lost their homes in the fire. "The contrast is just insane from losing my house, to like, being displaced, looking for housing, and then to performing at one of the big, I would say, biggest theaters in the whole world," she said.

The Eaton Fire destroyed the schools' campus theater, leaving students uncertain whether their production could continue. That uncertainty turned into opportunity when the Ahmanson Theatre offered its stage.

"Here, the Ahmanson offered for us to come do our show here, so the kids would still have a theater to put on their production," said Billy Rugh of Eliot Arts Magnet Middle School. "It's such a, you know, beautiful venue, and it's historic, and, yeah, it's extremely exciting. Obviously, to be here, it's overwhelming."

The students will perform their show Friday evening, marking a powerful moment of resilience and celebration on one of the city’s most prestigious stages.

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