Current Poll
| ‘Sound of Music’ hits local stage |
 |
 |
 |
| News | |||
| Written by Jesse Trimble | |||
| Wednesday, 25 November 2009 09:00 | |||
Excitement filled the air backstage at Louisburg High School on Friday night. Hundreds of students worked together for a night they’d all been preparing for since Labor Day weekend. “The Sound of Music” musical was performed Friday and Saturday night, at 7 p.m. in the LHS auditorium – and it was packed. Guests dressed in their best filled the seats while students backstage prepared. In the dressing room, girls and boys flitted about as they put on makeup, made adjustments to costumes and drowned their hair with hairspray to make it stay in place when they are singing and dancing on-stage. There were words of encouragement offered in passing as music from a CD player played in the background. As a microphone check reminder was called out, several students broke out in song, singing and clapping in unison to stretch vocal chords and ease the anxiety before the curtains were drawn back. Everyone was ready. Parents, grandparents, siblings and friends filed into the auditorium with flower arrangements in hand to give to their favorite performer after the show. The school was alive with the sounds of music. Based on a Broadway play from 1959 and then a film-musical from 1965, the play revolves around the character of Maria Ranier as she attempts to become a nun. When those attempts fail, Maria is sent to live with the Von Trapp family. Captain Georg Von Trapp is a widower with seven children and was the captain of a Navy ship. Maria becomes their governess and her care-free nature and singing begin to take an affect on the seven Von Trapp children, who have been raised by their extremely strict father. Maria and Georg end up falling in love, even though Georg is to be married to Baroness Elsa Schraeder and Maria is a postulate. Set right before World War II, the two put aside their immediate problems and concern themselves with the worldly issues around them. Choir director Jason Sickel said he was extremely pleased with performances by the students. He added he’d received positive feedback from students, parents and patrons alike. “I kept hearing it was a big one to tackle,” Sickel said of “The Sound of Music.” “In reality though, all of the shows we’ve done are difficult on their own levels. I guess this is a play with name recognition, while other plays we’ve done haven’t had that.” Around 70 students were directly involved in the musical, from actors and actresses to musicians and crew members. Sickel said he couldn’t have done it without the parents who assisted with the production. “In the past it has fallen on one or two families,” Sickel said. “But this year I invited parents with children in the show to help, otherwise, we couldn’t do the show. Everything from costumes to publicity, from the set to props — a dad even helped us with the sound and lights here.” Sickel added he was amazed and grateful to all the parents and that he was able to take the play in a new direction. “This is Louisburg, Kansas, where there isn’t a full-time theater teacher and the reality is that we have to rely on our parents to help us,” he said. Many students had singing roles in the play, but Kari Bormann, LHS junior, played the part of Maria and sang her heart out all through her performance. Audience members John and Karen Coffroth, parents of Kelsey Coffroth, who played Frau Schmidt, the housekeeper, were amazed by the performances. “She loves doing plays and musicals,” Karen said of her daughter. Despite her daughter not having a singing role, Karen said she thoroughly enjoyed the play. “It was my favorite movie growing up.” She added that Bormann’s voice was amazing. Singing 11 songs and contributing to more, Bormann captivated her audiences on Friday and Saturday nights. Sickel said since Labor Day, the cast has been rehearsing Monday through Thursday every week for two and a half hours a night, usually. “She really already had a beautiful voice,” Sickel said of Bormann, “but she took this to new depths.” He added Bormann is a talented student who understands the nuances and subtleties of being in a role like Maria’s. Audience member Sherri Chase arrived with flowers in hand Friday night. As a second grade teacher, Chase said two of her former students were in the play and one current student, Chelsea Philgreen, who played the young Gretl Von Trapp. “The kids were treating her like a movie star,” she said of Philgreen. “But every year these kids go above and beyond, every year it gets better and better. Mr. Sickel does an amazing job and works so hard with these kids.”
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 691 Trackback(0)
Comments (0)
 Write comment
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
