It takes an astonishing amount of dedication to put on a successful musical, especially in a high school environment. You need passionate directors, talented students, and the ability to do wonders on a budget. So you can imagine how much dedication one must need to put on a showstopper every year. For the past six years. 

The fine arts department has put on a number of shows since the schools opening six years ago. Everything from The Hobbit to 937 to It’s a Wonderful Life, but the main attraction is the annual musical. With rehearsal starting in late November and opening night being in early Feb., the fine arts department usually sees a six to eight-week turn around. Not much time to get near a hundred students organized and ready to perform but to Amy Brown and Cliff Carbone, the directors of theater and choir respectively, this is a yearly occurrence.

 “He (Carbone) pushes us, especially when it comes to the music itself,” McKenna Cooper (12) said. “He takes nothing less than perfection, which can be frustrating, but at the end of the day it’s exactly what the musical needs and what the cast needs.”

It’s astounding just how much these programs affect the students involved. Spend an extended amount of time around them, and you’ll see it for yourself. The way they’ve all bonded together is motivating. To theatre kids, It’s much more than a class, or a performance, it’s a family. Similar to a sports team, they’re all pushing each other to be better, to push themselves. They all want the best for each other, which just so happens to be the best for the individual. Also watching how Mrs. Brown and Mr. Carbone lead them, push them, and help them. To the students Brown and Carbone represent so much more than directors, they’re guides. Most students who graduate from these courses keep in touch, even wanting to come back and reminisce. 

“ I am very proud of the students who have put countless hours into the making of the show,” theater director, Amy Brown said. “This will be one of our very best works!”

This year the honor of playing Harold Hill goes to Luke Phipps, a rowdy individual perfect for the role, and with McKenna Cooper backing him up as his co-star, audiences are surely in for a treat. 

If you don’t believe meit’s a phenomenal show with passion and is going to ensure a great time, Luke Phipps (12) said.”

So come down and watch this showstopper on opening night Friday Jan 31 at seven pm, or the shows on Saturday at two and seven. If you cannot make it to those, there is a two pm show on Sunday. You’re in for an annual treat.