Edmond Memorial High School’s performing arts department is full of talented individuals; from acting, singing or a combination of the two, EMHS students are always ready to put on a show. This year these talented students will have double the workload than usual and will have to rise to the challenge. The two musicals shown this year will be “She Loves Me,”on Oct. 13-14 and “Children of Eden” on April 3-5. With this year’s show season featuring two musicals rather than a fall play and a spring musical, students will have to learn to adjust.
“This is not something we will do every year, but we may place two musicals on a 2-3 [year] rotation,” director Patrick Towne said. “The decision to produce two musicals was mine, but [it was] approved by the site and district Admin.”
Although achievable, performing two musicals adds more pressure on students than in years past. Students will likely have to go the extra mile in order to make sure these musicals are a success.
“[Putting on] two musicals is going to be a lot harder; more rehearsal time and things in general will take more time,” Braden Nieves, a Junior who plays the character “Violinist” in “She Loves Me” said. “Everybody has to contribute more than if we had a play.”
With as much talent as the EMHS performing arts department possesses, having two musicals will allow more students to have their spotlight moment. This change of schedule will also provide the rest of the student body with a better opportunity to see these skilled musical students on stage.
“Firstly, we have so many talented musical students that it is near to impossible to showcase them all in one show,” Towne said. “Secondly, musicals sell better than plays do, so we’re using this year as a sort of experiment to see what producing two musicals in one year is like for the whole department.”
Despite the challenge, students have accepted the task. Extra practice hours, determination and dedication are all needed to achieve this high goal. This extra work will not go unnoticed, as a large audience and an abundance of praise is typical for an EMHS musical.
“I feel like it’s very attainable for Memorial,” Senior Colin Nye who plays “George” in “She Loves Me” said. “The performing arts department has grown a lot, and with more and more awards racking up, I feel like we absolutely have the potential.”
This new modification is something students will have to get used to, but the shift could be a helpful thing for the performing arts department as it will encourage students to change and adapt to a new schedule. Having two musicals will also allow something different for the student body who views it, as some may enjoy musicals more than plays. This year, they will have the chance to see more of what they love.
“People really like it,” Nye said. “It’s new and unexpected. [Although] the public opinion is a bit varied, it’s very possible,”
With the addition of a second musical, not only will this give more students a chance to show off their abilities but it will also give the rest of the school a chance to see all the talent the musicals will possess. Students have put in the work and hopefully it will all pay off.
Contact Emma Eischeid at [email protected]
