Disney’s “101 Dalmatians” a Big Hit at Chocachatti Elementary School

Many people are familiar with the Disney cartoon version of “101 Dalmatians,” as well as the live action movie starring Glenn Close and the 2022 re-boot “Cruella” starring Emma Stone. But you probably haven’t seen it made up entirely of a cast of grade school children.

On April 17, Chocachatti Elementary School performed “101 Dalmatians” as their final performance of the school year. The proceeds from the show went to the local Humane Society.

Payton Egan played the lead, Cruella Da Vil. The 4th grader has been performing since kindergarten. This summer she plans to audition for a film. “I really liked how I had to change my voice. And I liked being with my family of cast members,” Payton remarked.

Giana Pagano, who played Penny, one of the puppies, has attended Chocachatti since first grade and has been in other plays there, such as “Goal “ and “Hats.” Giana commented, “I like being a puppy because I like dressing up as a dog.”

Aliyah Danet, performed the part of Rolly, another puppy. “What I like best about this part is making people laugh in my performance, ” Aliyah stated.

Hadley Baroudi, played Jasper, one of Cruella’s henchmen who captures the puppies. She has performed in several other Chocachatti plays, most notably playing the part of Bonnie Blogger in “Summer Camp” last year. “We’re the dumb funny sidekicks. I liked showing a side of myself that I’ve never shown my friends and family.

Clarence Clark played the part of Roger, the owner of Pongo and Perdita and eventually ninety-nine other Dalmatians. The 4th grader has been in several other shows at Chocachatti, including “Goal” and “Solar System Saga.” “I liked that I played the part of an adult watching out for a lot of puppies,” Clarence remarked.

Makenzie Herod, who played Anita, Roger’s wife, said, ”It was fun being a part of this cast.”

Not only did the children enjoy being in the show, they learned a little about helping others. The proceeds from the show ( $228) were donated to the Humane Society, which is a “no kill” shelter. The money will go to the day-to-day expenses of running the shelter.

Ms. Randi Zavrel of the Humane Society remarked, “We were honored that the children picked us as the recipient of the money they raised. They did such an amazing job with the play. They were all so talented, from the main characters all the way down to the puppies.”

The teachers will be taking a well-deserved break this summer, but come the fall, they’ll be planning more shows to delight their audiences and develop the talents of these young thespians.

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