About 130 students from the Ville Saint-Laurent elementary school have been working hard since last October to put the show together, either as members of the cast or backstage. They were supervised by musical director Dimitris Ilias and stage director Karen Pearce.

"Our objective was to involve as many kids as possible and to give them an experience that they'll remember for the rest of their life, and show them what it is to be part of a play," said producer and alumni parent Carmelina Zolla.

The sometimes explicit lyrics of the original musical were slightly modified for the young players. "We removed any language that is not appropriate for students of that age," said Zolla. "We made the music and the songs the permanent refocus."

The performances will be filmed in order to produce a DVD and the students also recorded a CD of the songs. "It's really exciting for them," said Zolla.

The show is one of Gardenview Home and School Association's major fundraising events. The association hopes to raise $15,000 in order to install an intercom security system at the school.

It's the second musical produced by Gardenview. Two years ago, a performance of 'The Sound of Music' allowed the school to build a new fence.

The show will be performed on Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 9 at 3 p.m. at Westmount High School, 4350 Ste. Catherine St. W. Tickets cost $12.50 and can be purchased at the door or by contacting Gardenview School at 514-744-1401.