We then meet the rest of the cast: the four children preparing for their first day of school. Veve exudes the capable warmth and command of a master teacher. The tone and theme are thus communicated right away: we are all unique and worthy beings with stories to tell. Veve warms up the audience by celebrating and shouting out the singers, dancers, teachers, basketball players, etc. The musical intersperses interactivity throughout, but especially at the beginning when Ms. Scenic Designer Jian Jung and Props Designer Sam Bay clearly did their research and it paid off in droves. Veve, played by the effervescent Audrey Hailes, the set makes clear it’s a place where any child or adult would want to spend their time. Even before we meet the classroom’s teacher Ms. The set, a classroom that is visible upon entering the theater, is inviting, fun, and cheerful. Nguyen, and Carla Duren in ‘The Day You Begin.’ Photo by Teresa Wood. And for this musical version (billed as “A Play with Lots of Music”), what it lacks in narrative plot, it makes up in an atmospheric bubble of positivity and acceptance. Like the book, the musical is big on empowerment and inclusivity. The Day You Begin, a new musical directed by Charlotte Brathwaite and based on the picture book of the same name by Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson, made its debut this weekend at the Kennedy Center’s Family Theater.
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