Ava Fonss, Editor
@afonsscourant
The theatre department has been preparing for the debut of their winter musical Mamma Mia, which has been rescheduled for May 29 at 7pm and May 30 at 2pm and 7pm. The spring musical Footloose has been canceled due to the school closure. Other recent productions have included Shrek the Musical jr., Clue, and the annual student-produced Drama Festival.
The upcoming musical takes place on a Greek island and depicts the story of the main character Sophie as she plans for her dream wedding, an event that includes her father giving her away. However, Sophie doesn’t know who her real father is. Donna, her mother, refuses to talk to her about her past, so Sophie goes on a journey to find out for herself. She finds three possibilities: Sam, Bill, and Harry. She secretly invites all three to the wedding, without her mother’s knowledge, and attempts to find her real father’s identity. The musical, originally a Broadway show, is told through the songs of the music group ABBA.
Members of the cast are very excited about the debut of the musical.“I’m looking forward to performing in front of my best friends,” said sophomore Charlotte Jensen, who will be playing the lead role of Sophie Sheridan. “They’re all so supportive of me and I can’t wait for them to see it!”
Charlotte is also looking forward to the musical because it is her first lead role. “I like how optimistic Sophie is,” she said. “She always has a positive view and sees the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s fun to play someone like that since I’m not really like that myself.”
Senior Nicole Demers will be playing the lead role of Donna in Mamma Mia. She has also been working very hard during rehearsals. “Most of the time rehearsals and the rehearsal process have been good and really productive. Though they are long and tedious sometimes, I know that I will always feel proud of what I did that day and look forward to showing it to everyone when the show rolls around.” She said.
Nicole was very excited when she found out that she was cast as Donna, the lead mother in the upcoming musical. “I was mostly shocked, but also really proud of myself for accomplishing something this big,” She said. “I would have never thought that I could do something like this.”
Nicole also feels a special connection to the role she is playing. “I feel towards my character,” she said. “I love being able to go on stage and in a way just be myself. It has truly been a learning experience for me and what I can do. I just can’t wait to get out there and show people what the cast and I have been doing for three months.” Nicole has also been taking steps to prepare for her role. “I do a lot of vocal warm-ups for the songs that I sing,” she said. “I also like to take a minute for myself to get grounded and feel all my emotions so I know what to put out there in each scene.”
She is also especially excited about the debut of Mamma Mia. “It’s a really fun musical that we all just have a laugh in,” She said. “Most of the other shows that I have done have been really intense and there was never a time where I could sit back and enjoy the show, but this time, I feel as if everyone is enjoying themselves and having a good time with the people who are always encouraging them”.
Freshman Sienna Veroude is a pit singer in the upcoming musical and has been enjoying the Mamma Mia rehearsals. “The props and staging are very fun to work with, and I like the casting because I feel like everyone fits their roles very well,” she said. “Rehearsals are also very fast-paced so we have to concentrate very hard.”
This is the first year that an NCHS musical will include the role of pit singers, a small group of students that sing together and accompany the musical. “Everyone else sings their solos on stage but the pit singers have to come together in one unified voice,” Sienna said. “We get to work closely with the other pit singers and are almost like the instruments of the production. I enjoy being a pit singer because you get to learn so much about the music and working as a team, and we get to create wonderful sounds together.”
With rehearsals happening every day after school along with tech work on Saturdays where set, props, and costumes are made, members of the cast have to balance rehearsals with their school work. Rehearsal times are different depending on the roles, but Charlotte is usually called to rehearsals every day until around 6. “It can definitely be hard to find that balance, so I usually get my homework done during free periods so I don’t have to worry about it later,” she said.
With such frequent rehearsals, a special relationship is built between the cast members. “We all see each other every day for hours at a time all through the year, so there’s no way to not get close with everyone,” Charlotte said. “I’ve met some of my best friends through theatre, and I’m so thankful for that. Things become competitive at times, but that’s the case for any sports team as well.”
Other cast members also experience this connection. Sienna said, “Everybody spends a lot of time together during rehearsals, so it feels like we’re a family because we get to know each other so well.”
The theatre program has also had significant impacts on its members. “I would not be the person I am today without this theatre program,” Nicole said. “Through the people and hard work that I have put into theatre, I have grown tremendously to be the strong and confident person that I am today. This department is where I can be myself and not feel judged for doing so. I love that everyone here has their own quirks and desires.”
