At 8 years old, Bella Fritch is a veteran of the musical stage -- at least around here.

"She loves being in plays," said her mother, Michelle, and may well be headed for a life on the board.

"She says she wants to do this for a career," said the elder Fritch.

Her imminent gig is the role of Dina in Temecula Performing Arts Company's "Schoolhouse Rock Live! -- Junior," the stage version of the popular 1970s TV program, one of the first cable shows to edge into the educational realm of public TV.

The musical will be presented starting Friday in the Old Town Temecula Community Theater.

Fritch said her daughter has been performing since she was 5 years old and has never lost her fascination it.

"She sings from the time she gets up 'til she goes to bed," Fritch said.

Life is hectic for an 8-year-old vocalist, but Fritch said the demands on her daughter's time seem to have improved, rather than harmed, her schoolwork.

She is an honor student who not only performs every opportunity she gets, but takes dance and gymnastics classes.

"She is very organized in her schoolwork," Fritch said. "I think that learning lines has helped her with memory and reading."

For that matter, she said, stage work can be educational - particularly if the musical is "Schoolhouse Rock Jr."

"She learned about the Constitution from 'Schoolhouse Rock,'" said Michelle.

Nor does Bella's schedule take much of a toll on family togetherness.

"We don't miss her much because we're usually right there with her," said Bella's mother.

And, if it turns out that Bella has the aptitude and desire to make a career on the stage, her family will still be right with her -- even if it were to mean a move to New York. Nor that moving 3,000 miles is at the top of the family's wish list.

"We'd love it if she'd stay right here," said Michelle.

Bella is not the only younger Fritch, though. Six-year-old Cole and 4-year-old Reese make up the rest of the set.

For a while, Michelle aid it looked as though Reese was going to follow in his sister's footsteps, singing whatever Bella had picked up.

"He memorizes all the songs and the lines," Michelle said.

So, they gave him a shot, but it turned out he did not much care for auditions or rehearsal.

"I think he lasted 10 minutes," said Michelle.

But Reese and Cole remain part of the coterie.

"They're never left behind," said Michelle.

And, if the day comes when the boys want to take their shot at the stage, that's OK too, she said.

But baseball looks a bit more likely.

This is the second time Temecula Performing Arts Company has presented "Schoolhouse Rock Live! -- Junior," said artistic director Jillian Stones, and, she thinks, the better time.

"The arrangements are better this time," she said, and the company will have recorded instruments to accompany them.

And the kids, which, Stones said, will be "filled with kids and color," will be backed by rented professional backdrops arranged by the theater.

Being able to rent someone else's stock backdrops means there is need neither to create them locally, nor store them locally, which Stones said would probably be an insurmountable obstacle.

Of course, there have been one or two changes in the world -- the solar system actually -- since the last performance here.

Like Pluto. Astronomers have withdrawn its status as a planet, which causes some problems for Interplanet Janet.

But the adaptations have been made, said Stones.

"Schoolhouse Rock Live! -- Junior"

When: 7 p.m. Friday through Saturday and Nov. 10-11; 2 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 11

Where: Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St., Temecula

Tickets: $12-$18

Info: (866) 653-8696