It’s that time of the year again for Edmond Memorial High School’s (EMHS) Follies production. Follies is an annual variety show put on by the school’s theater department. Any student or group of students are allowed to audition for a spot in the show, but only a select amount of acts make it through the competitive process.

The production this year had many enjoyable aspects. Two amazing acts that stood out from the rest were a viola cover of “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay played by Greyson Alexander. Alexander used a loop machine so he was able to play each layer of the song on top of the other, creating a very magical experience. The second was a piano duet of “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra, played by Tate Rosacker and Carter Haney. This piano duet was a lighthearted but entertaining version of the popular jazz song. The performers added interesting elements including switching spots on the piano, playing over the other person and singing together as well.

Other great acts included a comedy skit “PACE Moms”, put together by the drama class, where they impersonated their parent volunteers and the drama/choir teachers. Their very accurate and humorous version of the characters added to the show. David Koehn, the orchestra director, put together a smaller sized full orchestra to perform a piece. Dynamic contrasts and a unique blend of band and orchestra instruments added another layer on top of the song.

A Follies tradition that was a huge success this year is Senior Follies. Anyone from the senior class can participate in an act that they put together. This year, the students (led by Ella Latham and Mia Lashley) choreographed fun and light-hearted dances to popular songs, including “I Want it That Way” and “Bills Bills Bills”. A ton of seniors participated, and the outcome was hilarious and amazing.

One aspect that could have been improved upon was the transitions between acts. Each transition was a skit performed on the side of the stage by the hosts. While they were not bad and a few were quite funny, most of these moments were corny or a little confusing. They used light humor to try and engage the audience in between acts, but it could have been thought out more.

Overall, EMHS’s 2023 Follies used a variety of music arts to create an amazing experience for everyone who came, especially since two of their dress rehearsals were canceled due to weather. Every act had its own talent, way of expressing the students and way of impressing the audience.

Contact Ian Humphreys at [email protected]