Originally I had planned to discuss something different with you today, but that will have to wait until after spring break. Instead I'll start out by saying if you didn't have a chance to see the performance of our spring musical this past weekend, you really missed out on something quite spectacular. I was blown away by this performance and it was very apparent to me the kids on stage were having a blast seeing their hard work and perseverance pay off! Admittedly I was uncertain what to expect. The last time I checked, the cast and crew had missed in excess of 20 hours of rehearsal time. If I were the director (thankfully I wasn't) I think I would have been in quite a panic. As if to add insult to injury, Mr. Tecklenburg asked for special permission to hold rehearsals the last three Sunday's prior to the curtain rising. After taking a few days to think about his request, I relented and granted his petition. As asked for, he would practice from 3:00-5:00 p.m. and then again from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. This was not an easy request for me to grant because as a standard operating procedure we don't allow school activities on Sunday. Nonetheless, I granted this request and then had to turn around and cancel rehearsals on two of those Sunday's because once again, the weather wouldn't cooperate.
If you are interested in the math, think about this. Since the show went into production we cancelled school ten times, had three early dismissals, and started late three times. It you add it up, that is a lot of missed rehearsal! As this winter began to unravel, the administration approached Mr. Tecklenburg to inquire about the possibility of moving the show back a couple of weeks. Now, this is not at all an ideal scenario and would have created numerous scheduling obstacles and issues with royalty. Not insurmountable, but not at all ideal. Mr. Tecklenburg didn't think that was necessary. That was all before those two Sunday extended rehearsals were eliminated. So we asked the question a second time. Should we postpone? We had a very strong desire to ensure this was a positive experience for the cast, crew and audience. So we asked, should we move the show? No. As they say in the business, 'The Show Must Go On'. The students would simply have to 'Rise Up!"
And Rise Up they did! As the curtain parted on opening night, I reminded myself to keep everything in perspective in light of the challenges faced by this cast and crew. When the music started playing, I wasn't surprised that they had opted to use a prerecorded soundtrack. After all--they just didn't have the time. Then I realized it wasn't prerecorded at all. The pit band was far upstage behind the set, and they sounded SO good. It actually did sound as though it was a professionally prerecorded soundtrack. So I sat up a little bit straighter and moved to the front of my chair. They next two hours were an absolute blast! You never would have guessed the rehearsal challenges these kids faced.
The show was expertly cast. Each of the students in the show did an amazing job! I would love to go on here about individual performances but won't out of fear of forgetting someone. But I will say this: as a former high school musical director I tend to pay a lot of attention to the details. The typical audience member will focus generally on the action, the dialogue, and the solo work. The bulk of which come from our main characters. They were fabulous for sure! But how about that ensemble? Again, when looking at the details, I observed an ensemble totally in character, believable, and having great fun! I was as enthralled with the citizens of Whoville as they worried about their fate, as I was with the clever antics and attitude of the Cat in the Hat.
The body of work that makes up the library of Dr. Seuss is rich with lessons about the value of friendship, celebrating the differences in one another, and treating others how you would want to be treated. Indeed through the telling of this story, Horton reminds us to celebrate those differences: 'A person's a person no matter how small', and the Cat in the Hat encourages JoJo to 'Let imagination be her guide'. Certainly this cast and crew did an outstanding job of sharing these lessons with their audience.
At the same time I am quite sure they learned a lesson or two of their own along the way. Among them I would count hard work, dedication, perseverance, and never giving up as key insights from this experience. Furthermore, the number of students who experienced their first ever high school musical certainly embraced Suess's teaching: don't be afraid to try new things!
It has been a remarkable school year for a lot of reasons. I am quite certain this musical will be an experience fondly remembered by these young people decades into the future. They will recall the great fun they had on stage and how they had to Rise to the Challenge when faced with the perilous winter of 2019!
Finally these young people, while learning the value of hard work in the face of adversity realized the old cliche in theater most certainly is true: "The Show Must Go On"! Bravo to the cast and crew of Seussical! You have made us all very proud!
And Rise Up they did! As the curtain parted on opening night, I reminded myself to keep everything in perspective in light of the challenges faced by this cast and crew. When the music started playing, I wasn't surprised that they had opted to use a prerecorded soundtrack. After all--they just didn't have the time. Then I realized it wasn't prerecorded at all. The pit band was far upstage behind the set, and they sounded SO good. It actually did sound as though it was a professionally prerecorded soundtrack. So I sat up a little bit straighter and moved to the front of my chair. They next two hours were an absolute blast! You never would have guessed the rehearsal challenges these kids faced.
The show was expertly cast. Each of the students in the show did an amazing job! I would love to go on here about individual performances but won't out of fear of forgetting someone. But I will say this: as a former high school musical director I tend to pay a lot of attention to the details. The typical audience member will focus generally on the action, the dialogue, and the solo work. The bulk of which come from our main characters. They were fabulous for sure! But how about that ensemble? Again, when looking at the details, I observed an ensemble totally in character, believable, and having great fun! I was as enthralled with the citizens of Whoville as they worried about their fate, as I was with the clever antics and attitude of the Cat in the Hat.
The body of work that makes up the library of Dr. Seuss is rich with lessons about the value of friendship, celebrating the differences in one another, and treating others how you would want to be treated. Indeed through the telling of this story, Horton reminds us to celebrate those differences: 'A person's a person no matter how small', and the Cat in the Hat encourages JoJo to 'Let imagination be her guide'. Certainly this cast and crew did an outstanding job of sharing these lessons with their audience.
At the same time I am quite sure they learned a lesson or two of their own along the way. Among them I would count hard work, dedication, perseverance, and never giving up as key insights from this experience. Furthermore, the number of students who experienced their first ever high school musical certainly embraced Suess's teaching: don't be afraid to try new things!
It has been a remarkable school year for a lot of reasons. I am quite certain this musical will be an experience fondly remembered by these young people decades into the future. They will recall the great fun they had on stage and how they had to Rise to the Challenge when faced with the perilous winter of 2019!
Finally these young people, while learning the value of hard work in the face of adversity realized the old cliche in theater most certainly is true: "The Show Must Go On"! Bravo to the cast and crew of Seussical! You have made us all very proud!
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