The Newark High School Drama Club is now in its third week of rehearsals of “Singin’ in the Rain” that will be presented March 4th-6th in the Newark High School auditorium.
Like the legendary film, often regarded as the “greatest musical film ever made,” the romantic musical comedy stage adaptation by Betty Comden and Adolph Green from their original, award-winning screenplay, is a hilarious portrayal of Hollywood in the late 1920s during the transition from silent films to “talkies.”
The introduction of talking pictures poses a threat to the powerful silver screen darlings Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont when audiences discover her annoyingly shrill voice. After aspiring young actress Kathy Selden, who lacks Lamont’s fame, but possesses a beautiful singing and speaking voice is recruited to salvage, in secret, Lamont’s career Don falls in love with her . . .
“Singin’ in the Rain” mirrors the film’s unforgettable songs and dance including the show-stopping title number, complete with an onstage rainstorm!
Director/Choreographer Emily Howard and Musical Director Kate Flock, who is the vocal music teacher at NHS, picked the beloved musical, with its iconic songs and choreography, to delight audiences as they return to the NHS auditorium to see a musical production.
“After a year without a live musical, it feels great to be back in the auditorium with live piano accompaniment for rehearsal,” Howard said. “This year partially feels like a rebuilding year because we are learning how to perform and run a large-scale production on stage again. As we are in our third week of rehearsals, I’m happy to report we have several large dance numbers in decent shape. I am very proud of the students for working under challenging circumstances to continue to bring live theatre to our community!
“There are three main challenges when taking on the production of “Singin’ in the Rain” – the tap dancing, the films within the show, and the rain. Personally, I love tap dancing. I am always happy to find a way to bring that on stage. I taught weekly tap classes for about two months this fall preparing students for auditions. Don (Cody Acquista) and Cosmo (Dylan Brown) tackle most of the tapping in the show, but I’ve also found a moment in Act II for cast members to show off what they learned.
“Last year our students got to flex their video editing skills with the film/musical production of “We Will Rock You,” so I am excited to offer that opportunity again this year. As with last year, I have a student director, Cody Acquista, who will be overseeing the film production process, directing and creating the final products audiences will see on the big screen in the auditorium. Creating the theatre magic of rain on stage is a work in progress but I have a great team that meets Friday nights to build and brainstorm!
Cast:
Don Lockwood: Cody Acquista
Cosmo Brown: Dylan Burley
Kathy Seldon: Gabriella Taylor
Lina Lamont: Bria Dano
R.F. Simpson: Ethan Meeks
Roscoe Dexter: Cole Talbot
Rod: Ryan Hinks
Dora Bailey: Felicity Brey
Zelda Zanders: Veronica Swann
Miss Dinsmore:Jocelyn Hinks
Diction Teacher: Anna Szarek
Phillips: Chip Murphy
Sound Engineer: Shyanne Pilozzi
Policeman: Andrew Flock
Tenor Soloist:
Ryan Hinks
Ensemble
Brooklyn Baker
Jordan Brooks
Isabella Cary
Alicia Hernandez
Meiah Johnson-Danzey
Andrew Joslyn
Natalie Kelley
Lisa Lape
Ammorette Laws
Mikalya Miller
Alissa Mosquera
Courtni Tang
Abdiel Ubiles
Beatrice Van Riper
Crew
Gracie Bennett
Devina Bueg
Grace Casler
AJ Comella
Cheyenne Fischer
Bailey Harris
Loretta Hobart
Jadon Kowaleski
Ian Murphy
Sloane Peters
Leeann Titus
Camryn Tolleson
Pit Band: Jacob Rodriguez
We have several teachers in the pit band this year:
Danielle Ohlson (NHS English teacher playing cello)
Bob Humphrey (NHS Music teacher playing drums)
Maddison Hendricks (NMS Spanish teacher playing percussion)
Perkins School music teacher Lara Larsson is directing the Pit Band; Mary Lou Bonnell is the rehearsal accompanist and Dave Howard is in charge of set design. The poster for the show was created by Cody Acquista.
“Two students _ Devina Bueg and Jocelyn Hinks _ have expressed interest in costuming the show. Veronica Swann is taking on portions of the set design on her own,” Howard said.
The show will be presented at 7 p.m. March 4th and 5th and at 2 p.m. March 6th. Tickets at the door are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.
