BWW Q&A: Hannah Kuykendall Talks SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK, LIVE! at Birmingham Children's Theatre

Get ready to rock your way through grammar, math, science, and history in this high-energy musical based on the beloved educational TV series! Schoolhouse Rock Live! follows Tom, a nervous schoolteacher on the eve of his first day, who finds unexpected inspiration when characters representing different parts of his personality spring to life from his TV.

Together, they teach him how to engage his students through imagination and music with unforgettable songs like "Conjunction Junction," "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly," and "I'm Just a Bill." A fun, nostalgic adventure for audiences of all ages!

Hannah Kuykendall is a Birmingham-based choreographer, director, and performer working in professional theatre and arts education. She has choreographed and assisted on many productions with local and regional companies including Red Mountain Theatre, Birmingham Children's Theatre, and Alabama Symphony Orchestra.

In 2022 she won Birmingham's Dancing with the Stars of the Magic City, representing SEC Shorts. Schoolhouse Rock has always been special to Hannah — it was the first production she was ever in, at 10 years old. Now, two decades later, it holds even deeper meaning as her professional directing debut. We spoke with Hannah about coming full circle with this production, updating a classic for a new generation, and the magic that happens when kids experience live theatre.

What does it mean to you personally to be making your professional directing debut with Schoolhouse Rock Live!, a show you first performed in at age 10?

As cliché as this sounds, it really does feel full circle. Schoolhouse Rock Jr. was my very first show, and one of the reasons I fell in love with theatre. I also grew up going on field trips to Birmingham Children’s Theatre so coming back to direct here has been a kismet gift. It also feels like the right show for me to start with because I come from a choreography background and this piece is so driven by music and movement. From age 10 I’ve been trying to direct (whether my teachers asked for it or not ?) so it’s been a really natural stepping into this next role. Schoolhouse Rock, Birmingham Children’s Theatre, and theatre magic have now been constants in my life for 20 years and I couldn’t be more grateful to where they’ve led me.

How has your experience as a choreographer influenced your approach to directing this production?

Since the show is so music driven, I really relied on all the different styles I’ve learned over the years. There is truly a tiny bit of everything in this show. (Jazz, tap, disco, partner dancing, the charleston, even a little ballet.) I wanted the show to feel cohesive, but for each number to feel like its own world. When I choreograph I always start with the story first, something I learned from my middle school theatre teacher, Delle Kincaid, that has carried into my own directing. I’m constantly thinking about how movement is telling the story, not just filling space. One of my favorite things about our BCT crowds is that they are more likely to dance with you than typical audiences, so I built in a choreo vocabulary for the words “noun”,” verb”, and “adjective” that get repeated throughout the show in the hopes that at least one child will catch on and join in. It was important to me that the dancing stayed fun and accessible. Many of these kids haven’t grown up with Schoolhouse Rock, so I wanted it to feel engaging and easy to connect to. My experience performing at and choreographing for BCT have taught me so much about playing to the best (and most honest) critics you could ever have: young audiences. I think being a choreographer first has affected my directing mostly in how I track flow, I’m always thinking about movement, pacing, and keeping the show alive from moment to moment.

In what ways have you worked to update Schoolhouse Rock Live! for today's younger audiences while still honoring the beloved classic that so many adults remember fondly?

When I was doing my original research, I found that Schoolhouse has been produced many different ways, but usually with abstract screens and shapes with a focus on the many, MANY props asked for in the script. While the show is packed with lots of music props, there is a story there and I wanted to lean into it so the show didn’t just feel like a revue, but a full production. At the center of our version is a teacher who’s unsure going into his first day, and that’s something both kids and teachers can connect to. The kids are watching the story, but the teachers in the audience are living that feeling every day. So while everyone is enjoying all of the fun, nostalgic music they also might see themselves onstage. I’ve added small, current references in the props and choreo that younger audiences will recognize, but I didn’t want to overhaul what already works. The music is classic for a reason so instead of changing the sound or arrangements, I leaned into the original cartoons while building a more active world around them. It stays fun for younger students and meaningful for the well studied students ;)

How do you balance the nostalgia factor for adult audience members while keeping the energy and spectacle exciting and fresh for the children in the audience?

This was something I really wanted to focus on the entire process. I wanted the show to live up to the memories of Saturday mornings, but also invite completely new memories full of even more joy and learning. Adults will absolutely connect through the music and the nostalgia, kids will connect through the color, the movement, and all the surprises throughout the show. I think you chose the right word, “spectacle” because that’s exactly what this 75 minute show is. There are props galore including streamers, a train whistle, “snow”, sweatbands, adjectives for special audience members, “water effects” (watch out house left!), and what show wouldn’t be complete without a little black light and confetti? This show has everything except the kitchen sink! (Which is ironic because our set includes a kitchen without a sink.) However, underneath the high energy, fast paced trip down memory lane is the idea that you already have everything you need—it just needs to be unlocked, sometimes with a little music and education.

Can you talk about the role that music and movement play in making the educational themes of Schoolhouse Rock Live! accessible and engaging for young audiences?

I don’t know about you, but I can sing you all the Hannah Montana songs from middle school that I haven’t heard in YEARS, but have a good bit of trouble remembering all those good facts my teachers lovingly taught me. There’s a reason music sticks—it activates the parts of your brain that control emotion, memory, and language all at once. Music is what makes the information memorable and I’ve tried to add a physical layer to help with the memorization as well. I created a movement vocabulary throughout the show that includes specific gestures and even some sign language tied to certain words and concepts. So kids aren’t just hearing it, they’re seeing it and (hopefully) dancing it too. I wanted to reach as many learning styles as possible—visual, kinesthetic, and auditory. Music makes it memorable, and movement helps lock it in physically.

What has it been like working with Birmingham Children's Theatre on this production, and what does BCT's mission to bring professional theatre to young audiences mean to you?

Some of my first memories of theatre are at BCT. I can still vividly remember seeing A Christmas Carol with an entire other world onstage. The set was designed to look like a snowy, outdoor London street was similar to something that I had only ever seen at Disney world.. that is actually outside. It was magic to me. Getting to come back and direct that “magic” has been beyond special, but honestly, my favorite part is watching the kids watch the show. Their reactions are so honest: excited squeals as the house lights go down, invited interjections and the improvised ones too, clapping along to ballads, thunderous applause during bows, and the singing in the lobby on the way out really remind you exactly why this work matters. What I love about BCT is that they don’t talk down to their audience. Kids are smart, and they pick up on more than we think. From the beginning, my goal was to make something that feels like good theatre, not just a “kids’ show.” Theatre has always been a place for adults to process things and step away from everyday stress, and kids need that too. Being able to give them AND their chaperones an experience that’s joyful, engaging, and meaningful is important work, and I feel very lucky to be part of it at BCT. My biggest hope is for the students to have that same reaction I did when I was in their seat, especially the ones who don’t even realize yet that this could be something they get to share one day.

What has been the most rewarding part of bringing this production to life as both the director and choreographer?

Watching the kids react to moments exactly the way I hoped they would have been the most fulfilling part. And also in ways that I could've never imagined. After hearing our first audience singing the "Conjunction Junction” in the lobby post show—that’s when I know we did what we set out to do. It’s also been incredibly rewarding to finally have something that lived in my head for months actually come to life onstage. Regardless of age, audiences can really see the collaboration from every department in this show. I am so proud of our team, and grateful for their trust in me and my big dreams. Speaking of trust in me though.. This cast has been incredible from day one. Watching them grow together, handling all the changes I threw at them during tech week, and the joy these students bring to them and vise versa has made it very clear how lucky I am to have worked with this constellation of stars. I hope you’ll get a chance to see each one of them shine. I think they taught me way more than I taught them, and I am better because of our time together.

Why must audiences come and see the show?