BURBANK : Endangered Species Focus of Stage Revue

Children from throughout Los Angeles County will dress in furs and face the wrath of a protest march as part of the musical “Shambala Revue” scheduled to be performed June 30 in Burbank.

The revue, written by young actors with help from their parents, features seven songs that explore how humans can protect endangered species. Actors ranging in age from 8 to 23 will act, sing, make costumes for and direct the show.

The performance, produced by a nonprofit organization, See Above Productions Inc., will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Junior Achievement Auditorium, 6250 Forest Lawn Drive. Tickets are $5 if purchased in advance, or $6 at the door.

Proceeds from the event pay the fees of low-income children who participate in plays and musicals about current social issues produced by See Above Productions Inc. The organization requires all participants to pay a fee to belong to the troupe, spokeswoman Kelly Hayes-Raitt said.

Formed in Los Angeles County in 1988, See Above Productions provides an outlet for about 30 children each year to express their views and concerns about social issues through acting, singing and dancing, Hayes-Raitt said.

Children who participate in the program are from varying socioeconomic backgrounds and live in different areas of the county. Some attend classes in Los Angeles Unified School District schools, while others go to the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts at Cal State Los Angeles.

The group performs regularly for other nonprofit organizations throughout the county, and recently finished touring with a musical “Writing on the Wall.” See Above Productions actors took lyrics for this production from letters written by teen-agers in jail to other teen-agers.

Some actors in the troupe have traveled overseas to work with another nonprofit group, Peace Child International, in which Los Angeles County actors produce shows with youth in other nations, Hayes-Raitt said.