Some of this year's Children's Day performers at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts are set to display talent that could rival their cuteness.

These students from both the State College Suzuki Program and The Music Academy in State College will aim to entertain the crowd on Allen Street today with intricate performances and professionalism not usually displayed in children.

Gretchen Seaver, an instructor for the State College Suzuki Program, said that her students usually get a good reception from Arts Fest attendees.

Seaver added most people will usually stop for a few minutes to listen.

Carol Pharo, a music instructor at the Music Academy, said adults tend to underestimate her musical theater students' capabilities.

"One doesn't always think children are capable of performing like this, as well as excelling at it," she said.

Pharo is directing a group of students who will perform a "wide repertoire" of examples of musical theater with songs from The Muppet Show and Disney's Snow White, as well as Broadway shows such as West Side Story.

Seaver said her students' performance will feature a section of violin and viola performances from students ages 5 to 13, and will be followed by performances from both piano and cello students.

"They definitely get a lot of points for cuteness," Seaver said. "But most people are also impressed that kids that young can even make a sound on an instrument, let alone sound good."

Pharo added that while the performance may get sighs of "aw, how cute," from passersby at Arts Fest, all children should also be credited for performing on such a high artistic level.

"I think they will really catch a person's ear," she said.

Seaver said the Suzuki Program trains its students to be comfortable performing in front of an audience so they can be prepared to play larger gigs such as Arts Fest.

"They're ready to get out there and focus," Seaver said. "They're ready to handle the distractions around them."

Seaver's students also play a variety of other venues, from churches to school auditoriums to State College Spikes games, she said.

"I think the more venues and situations they can have performing in, the better," she said. "They become really flexible."

The Music Academy will also feature its school-aged students in their Arts Fest performance. Students at the school range from ages 6 to 85.

Bonnie Tatterson, executive director of the Music Academy, said students studying piano, guitar, flute, voice and musical theater will all perform.

"The Music Academy tradition in Arts Fest has been a long-standing tradition and demonstrates that people of all ages can play music," Taterson said.