Hundreds of parents and community members filled the auditorium at Butler Middle School to enjoy a night of song and dance. Students from Butler Elementary School, in Cottonwood Heights, performed the "Butler on Broadway," a performance that included more than 400 students and faculty members re-creating famous Broadway performances.

Andrea Young, a Butler second-grade teacher, said her students worked hard for several months leading up to the show.

"We started working on the songs before Christmas," Young said.

"They had to memorize all the words and learn their parts, and we had to make the props. So they're very excited to finally perform."

Second-graders, all dressed in T-shirts featuring hand-drawn

self-portraits of students in each class, performed the "Circle of Life," from the "Lion King," and the old favorite a "Spoonful of Sugar."

"The good thing about everyone being in this show is that it gives kids a chance to shine who may wouldn't normally," Young said. "They may not get 100 percent on every spelling test, but that doesn't matter when they're performing."

Students performed for fellow students and two packed evening

shows. Parent volunteers helped with costumes and sets, and more than 30 staff and faculty members participated in the show.

Brooke Burns, 7, a second-grader, said she had practiced a lot and wasn't nervous before performing.

" 'The Circle of Life' is my favorite song," Brooke said.

Sixth-graders opened the show with "No Business Like Show Business," dressed in black slacks, white shirts with red bowties and black tophats.

Third-graders dressed in bathrobes to sing "I Feel Sick," and "I Won't Grow Up," while first-graders painted their faces like jungle animals and sang "I Just Can't Wait to be King." Kindergarten students used glow sticks while singing "Getting to Know You," and dancing in the dark.

The evening also included a silent auction of gift baskets, to help raise money for more art and enrichment programs. Parents bid on baskets full of goodies, which were created by individual classrooms.

Theme baskets included "Baby on the Go," a movie package, a baking basket and a sweet tooth basket.

Butler Elementary Principal Edy McGee said this is the first year the school had done this performance on such a large scale.

"It was good to see everyone, all the students, work hard," McGee said. "We plan to use the money from the silent auction to buy art and enrichment programs, so we can give the students a well-rounded education."