Every year the high school puts on a musical. This year’s musical is “Little Shop of Horrors,” the musical that blends comedy, loss, music, and carnivorous plants. The musical started production after a week of delay from a winter storm in January; the show officially started practice at the very beginning of February. Three times a week, the cast rehearses in the auditorium at the school learning choreography and blocking the scenes to put the show together.
Like any musical, the show revolves around the plot and the sets, which help to move the show along. This show’s set features multiple plants that are not only set pieces, but moving puppets that feature the voices of some of the cast members in the show. These plants being the main point of the show have a very complex system to make sure they function correctly. With students puppeteering the plant on stage, while at the same time a student is off stage providing the voice of the plant.
The plant isn’t the only complex part of the show as many of the cast members have multiple songs and lines to memorize. “The show has been a lot of fun to be a part of even though the music can be difficult at times,” junior Hannah Birappagari said about her experience so far in the musical.
While the musical doesn’t open until the end of March, the crew has already started working with the cast to make sure that when the show does open the show runs smoothly and with as little issues as possible. With crew backstage learning when to move sets, the light and sound crew also have a big job to fill as well. The crews have to learn cues and which characters need to have their microphones on, and which light sequence needs to happen during the scenes.
“Working on lights during the show is my favorite time of the year! We get so much creative freedom, and sometimes we’ll join in on the dancing up in the booth,” sophomore Charlotte Ogan reminisced when talking about working in the light booth during the musicals.
Whether a crew member or a cast member has something to do during the show, both groups are vital to the show. When the show comes together, it’s ready to be performed in front of crowds of people and listed in the record as a good show to be remembered.
