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Vail Performing Arts Academy celebrates 30 years of enriching kids’ lives through theatrical instruction and performances this weekend with a revue at Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek. The revue revisits numbers from many of the musicals it has presented throughout the decades.

“It was quite a journey to choose the lineup,” said Annah Deluca-Scully, Vail Performing Arts Academy’s founder and executive producer. “I wanted it to reflect the essence of VPAA – our journey, our favorite moments and the growth of our students. It’s a mix of nostalgia and celebration, honoring where we’ve been and where we’re headed.”

Artistic director Colin Meiring chose songs from previous shows to suit the vocal ranges of the 50 kids in the show, ages 8-16.

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The performance includes “We Go Together,” from “Grease,” which was the first production Vail Performing Arts Academy staged at Vilar Performing Arts Center, when the theater was first opened. It also includes fun tunes like “Fat Sam’s Grand Slam” from “Bugsy Malone,” with girls shaking the fringes of their pink flapper dresses, and “Aladdin’s” “A Whole New World,” which springs to life as the kids wave a giant, star-studded cloth, with a cutout for Aladdin and Jasmine so it looks like the pair is flying through the sky.

One of the kids’ favorite numbers is “We’re All in This Together,” from “High School Musical,” partially due to its hip-hop choreography and costumes featuring pom poms and sophisticated, academic attire.

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“They love that song, and they love the dance,” he said, adding that he knows it’s the most popular routine because he posts rehearsal videos on YouTube, and that once has garnered more than a thousand views, as opposed to the 100-200 views the other rehearsed numbers have attracted.

Of course, the older kids love “Bend and Snap” from “Legally Blonde,” because they have such fun doing the move, he said.

The most difficult number the kids tackle is “Life Support” from “Rent,” partially because it includes very challenging harmonies, and also because of its subject matter.

“They’re talking about T cells and medication and AIDS, so it’s hard for them to relate to it, but it’s a pretty song,” he said.

Other numbers include tunes from “Fame,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Godspell,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Pirates of Penzance,” “13 the Musical,” “Xanadu,” “Moana,” “Matilda,” “Into the Woods” and “Mean Girls.”

The show-stopping routine, in terms of filling the stage with a world of colorful umbrellas, comes in the form of “Singin’ in the Rain.” Plus, Meiring describes sixth-grader Declan Mayer as a “mini Gene Kelly” with perfect pitch.

Meiring has stored decades’ worth of costumes in his garage, so the revue showcases old costumes from the original Vail Performing Arts Academy’s shows, including vintage kimonos he got a screaming deal on in bulk for “Reflection” from “Mulan.”

Every Vail Performing Arts Academy student appears in at least half of the 22 numbers; they have one song to run backstage and change costumes.

“It’s just a mad flea market backstage,” Meiring said about the costume changes.

Meiring and Deluca-Scully still hear from past students who tell them how important Vilar Performing Arts Center’s professional stage was to them.

“I get letters from alumni all the time about how performing on that stage prepared them for their college performances and also for their professional careers,” he said.

“It’s a wonderful, sometimes emotional experience. They often tell me how much VPAA shaped them, not just in terms of performing but in building their confidence and giving them lasting friendships,” Deluca-Scully said. “Many mention the life lessons they learned – teamwork, dedication and the courage to put themselves out there. Knowing that it still holds a special place in their hearts is incredibly rewarding.”

Vilar Performing Arts Center allows students the rare opportunity to experience technical aspects they otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to, such as wearing headsets rather than simply having an overhanging mic on stage, state-of-the-art lighting, sound booths, green rooms and more. Many Vail Performing Arts Academy students have gone on to study theater at such universities as Carnegie Mellon, Columbia and Cambridge. They often return to work as assistant directors or light and sound technicians for performances, acting as role models.

Vail Performing Arts Academy tags itself as “the most important stage in a child’s life,” and it offers the most important literal stage of their formative years through Vilar Performing Arts Center.

Vilar Performing Arts Center’s stage also draws in audiences who might not otherwise know about Vail Performing Arts Academy’s shows; they benefit by watching energetic kids who embody the exuberance of performing.

“All of the numbers are very upbeat and entertaining and inspiring,” he said, adding that the kids’ enthusiasm is infectious “because they’re so uninhibited, and that can change someone’s life in the audience — with the enthusiasm.”

Deluca-Scully recognizes Meiring’s enthusiasm and how it’s infectious for the whole organization.

“The real key to VPAA’s longevity is our Colin, who joined us over 20 years ago and became ‘the fuel in our Ferrari.'” Deluca-Scully said. “Colin, along with our dream team — Melinda Carlson and Hannah Belle Terrell as vocal directors and Val Watts on costumes — has elevated VPAA into a family that nurtures every young performer who walks through our doors. Their commitment has built a legacy of excellence, collaboration and joy that defines who we are and fuels everything we do.”