Levine Music just pulled off a pandemic-safe production of “Les Miz.” And its in-person camps are back this summer.

For the past several months, Levine Music (2801 Upton Street) has made its mostly virtual lessons and classes work in extraordinary ways. Take, for example, the Levine Music Theatre production of Les Misérables:

Starting in January, students met for online rehearsals and masterclasses. Then the actors and orchestra recorded the memorable score similar to a movie-musical in recording studios at Levine Upton campus. The production was recorded outdoors at the Root Stage at Olney Theatre Center, where the actors put all of the direction and choreography together as they lip synced to their own voices.

Levine students ages 9 to 80 took part. The production premiered last Friday, and you can watch it here through July 25th.

While some of Levine Music’s summer programs will include virtual elements, in-person programs are back in a big way, with the addition of an acting camp in partnership with Theatre Lab, and additional space provided by Whittle School & Studios. (Whittle is also home to some CityDance camps.) The Levine Upton Street campus and Whittle School are within a few blocks of one another.

Camp Levine is Levine’s traditional day camp, with arts and music programs tailored to ages pre-K to 6th grade. The acting camp with Theatre Lab is for rising 3rd through 6th graders.

Other programs, such as the strings camp intensive in late July, and the week-long “Rehearsing for College” workshop in August, include middle and high school-aged students.

Levine is also resuming in-person programs for preschoolers and adults. The school’s First Music classes for ages 4 months to 6 years will take place outdoors on Saturdays in July and August. For the adults, there are a number of classes for those learning strings and guitar, or itching to sing with other people.

And some private lessons, for all ages, will resume in-person this summer.

Safety Protocols

Levine has been preparing for the return to campus over these past many months. Levine’s director of marketing, Angie Fraser, told Forest Hills Connection that a University of Maryland medical group specializing in infectious diseases toured the campus, reviewed class plans and safety protocols, and helped the school establish internal metrics to minimize risk.

On-campus access is being granted to faculty, staff and students ages 16 and up who show proof of vaccination (with some medical and religious exemptions). That requirement will extend to students ages 12 and up once Levine’s fall session begins in September.

And, many classes and camp sessions are being held outdoors. Levine put up this tent in its parking lot for that purpose.

And Whittle has extensive outdoor as well as indoor space.

You can read more about Levine’s safety protocols here.