ROME — The Capitol Theatre Rising Stars students will present the two-act musical play “15 Miles on the Erie Canal” at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30 at the theatre, 230 W. Dominick St.

The musical comedy production tells the story of a group of 2022 school children who visit an Erie Canal museum. There they meet the spirits of children and adults who lived and worked on the canal in its early days. The friendly spirits teach the children about how the canal was built and what life was like 200 years ago. 

The approximately two-hour show is family friendly, educational and entertaining for children of school age and adults of all ages. The show features seven lively musical numbers from the canal period including a sing-along of the title song and historical costumes.

There is also a professionally designed and built set by Chatham Theatre producer and Capitol Theatre volunteer Rod Foote, who also served as music director, media designer and co-director for the show. Colorful projections help illustrate the history of the canal.

The cast of 42 includes students from all area school districts and several home-schooled students. All are enrolled in the Rising Stars program.

The Capitol Theatre program offers four 10-week sessions each year for students ages 7-22. The focus of the program is to help students develop their own creativity, build self-confidence, empathy and learn important life skills as well as theatre skills. Students learn while having fun and making new friends.  

This show concludes the fall session, the last session of 2022. Classes will resume in January for the winter session of 2023.    

Tickets are $6 for everyone and will be available at the door as well as online at www.romecapitol.com or by calling the Capitol box office at 315-337-6277 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

For more information about the show or the Rising Stars program, email submit@romecapitol.com.