Every spring that I have been at CVCA (6 years now), the school has put on a musical. My school in Maine did not have a musical; to my knowledge, we did not have a theater program (if we did, I do not remember it). So, I did not expect much when I went to see CVCA’s musical, State Fair, seven years ago when I was interviewing for my job. Imagine my happy surprise to discover that the musical was very good. Not just good for a high school – it was really good. I have been pleased with all of the productions I have seen.
Last Friday, Mer and I went to opening night of The Music Man. Somehow, I got it in my head that the musical started at 7:30, so it was good that I like to get to these things early; it started at 7:00! I took my seat just as the overture was playing (Mer and Aunt Mary were already sitting – I had one small tech thing to do for the musical, that I literally ran to take care of). What a fun musical – The Music Man has one of my favorite musical rhymes – it manages to rhyme “carrion” with “Marian” and “librarian.”
CVCA managed to field over 40 actors on stage. All in all, there were over 100 students involved in acting, the orchestra, the set crew, makeup, the tech crew, etc. That is better than 1 in 8 students involved for the entire school. They work really hard – rehearsals run about 3 months, and the late rehearsals can run until 10:00 or 11:00 at night. The students and advisers do all of this work for five performances (probably about 3,000 people). I admire that kind of dedication.
Anyway, The Music Man was great. It is fun to see students that you know in these roles (it kind of feels like being an insider). The two leads were well cast – when Harold Hill and Marian sing to each other on the bridge at the end of the play (hear a Broadway clip here) it is beautiful. Their version was better than the clip I have linked to. I found myself wondering how they could sing like that (I can’t!). The kids did a really great job.
A funny story about the guy playing Harold Hill. He is a handsome young man, and can really sing. A couple of years ago, Mer and I went to a fall concert featuring all of CVCA’s musical groups, including a group made up of mostly junior high girls and ninth graders. We sat next to them, and they were very chatty for most of the evening, but when “Harold” got up to sing a solo, you could have heard a pin drop. I thought that was pretty amusing.
Nice job on the musical, CVCA!
“My school in Maine did not have a musical; to my knowledge, we did not have a theater program (if we did, I do not remember it).”
AHEM! Your TWIN was IN a show our senior year! It was a bunch of skits, including musical portions. This was right around when we were working over in Berlin (I assume you remember the back liquor at the mill?).
I remembered you and Josh did a skit, but that is hardly the same as a theater program. I thought you two initiated it, and I assumed that after you left, there was no theater. I did not go to your one-act for some reason (I don’t remember why).
I remember the mill vividly.
I do remember a musical in Junior High – it had Alf from Norway in the lead role. Funny how that seemed normal at the time. Did we lack such acting talent that a non-natice speaker was better than the rest of us? Don’t answer that…
Yup, I remember the musical in Jr. High, too. Only thing I remember it Rachel singing “Who will buy my red, red, roses”. Didn’t remember that Alf was in it.
The show Josh and I were in was kind of a variety show. We didn’t initiate it (I don’t think), but, yeah, I’m not sure the “theater” program did much after we left. I think Mrs. Emery wanted to do a real show, but couldn’t pull it off…likely due to lack of talent.
I still have caustic burns on one of my fingers from that stupid mill.
What is “back liquor”?
It is a very base (as opposed to acid) material used in pulping paper. It is very nasty. I don’t remember having to deal with black liquor – Shannon might have had that fun to himself. I do remember shoveling lime, which is also a base (or an acid – I forget which), and so it would eat small holes in your hands when it got inside your gloves. Have I mentioned that I am glad I work at a school?
Oh– “black” with an “l”. Shannon had spelled it “b-a-c-k”.
Not that I would have known what black liquor was.
Sorry Rev – that was a typo (I actually know how to spell blacc).
Mu – you don’t remember having to get the black liquor (sorry Rev, you can’t drink it) off those bolts? We had to use crowbars and such to clear ’em off. Ugh. It was horrible. Have I mentioned how weird it is that people who do that kind of horrible work are paid so much less than people like me who sit around in cushy offices? I don’t work nearly as hard, either.
I remember getting dressed up in white overalls and cleaning up grease. I never messed with blakk liquor. My burns were all from lime.
Oh – I thought the grease was mixed with black liquor. Perhaps I am mistaken.
The lime was miserable. And getting yelled at because we worked to fast/hard. Ahhhh, good times! Oh wait, no they weren’t.