Hundreds special needs students went to Roosevelt School of the Arts to enjoy their first musical

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A little song and dance was something new for an appreciative audience. Several kids arrived in wheelchairs and were drawn in by the melodies.

About 300 kids from over 20 local schools came to a special show put on by the Roosevelt School of the Arts.

"Show people what we can do here as theater, but give these kids who always have to be still, be quiet, stop that-- this is their show. They can be as loud and noisy as they are," said Kathy Koch, show director.

They clearly loved the production of "Little Shop of Horrors." The young fans even stood to show their appreciation of the student performers.

"It's a sensorial experience. Lights and sound and even things that are almost touchable, so it's wonderful to see them experiencing that for the first time," said Patrick Tromborg, Roosevelt instructor.

Many of the kids were autistic, others were dealing with emotional issues, so the show gave them all a chance to laugh and smile for a few hours.

"Some of them are hooting and hollering and some of them are just exclaiming sounds, which is who they are, and this is the right place for them to be because this is a show for them," said Koch.

The kid's introduction to live theater went so well Roosevelt plans to perform more shows for this community in the future.

"This is about education and every single individual person needs the opportunity to have an education. That is our belief-- that is our vision and our mission," said Tromborg.

Tromborg said the idea came from a friend who asked him if there were any live shows available to kids with autism.

Some movie theaters set aside times for families to bring in their kids with special needs to enjoy a movie.