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Negative thoughts of what could happen come pouring into his mind as sophomore Jacob Shoemaker prepares for his audition. He tries to breathe and picture his audition going well. “If you mess up everyone will know you messed up, then you’ll be very self conscious. You have lots of friends there and if you mess up they’ll tell you that you did great anyway. Everyone is actually really supportive about it,” said Shoemaker.
Shoemaker plays the hermit and Bob in this year’s production Young Frankenstein. The musical, based on the Mel Brook’s movie Young Frankenstein, is about the mischief of a young brain surgeon who inherits a castle from his grandfather, Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. He thinks the castle is lame until he discovers a book filled with his grandfather’s experiments and theories. The young surgeon discovers that the experiments might just work and sets out in an attempt to conquer them.
“Young Frankenstein is a favorite movie of many folks, especially for older folks. We’ve wanted to do something very different for a while now. The show just came off Broadway so it’s relatively new to the stage,” said choreographer Resi Dolbee.
The cast includes a funny hunchback named Igor, a pretty lab assistant named Igna, the monster Dr. Frederick Frankenstein creates and many other captivating characters.
“Transylvania Mania is probably my favorite song because it has lots of fun dancing in it,” said Shoemaker. The musical is filled with ensemble scenes that require both singing and dancing. The cast starts off by learning their lines then they work on their choreography. The practices are different everyday, but they typically alternate from acting and dancing.
“They have to learn fast. Unlike my classes where I encourage improvisation and more creative input I have to limit that and be more direct in what I have them do. I have to actually choreograph every move and teach it to them,” said Dolbee
Lots of people are helping direct and construct things needed for the musical. For example, Kelly King is having students help her with set design and props. “Art club is painting the backdrop for the musical. We are going to be working on it after school every Wednesday for the next couple of weeks. Everyone has his or her own little part to paint. I think it’s going to look amazing once we are finished,” said sophomore art club member Alex Ginn. “From the looks of it the show is going to be great this year. Everyone’s putting a lot of effort into making it happen. I can’t wait to see everything finally come together.”
In order to produce a successful musical everyone involved has to cooperate. “You want to have a good production and you have to be a perfectionist to make sure everything goes as planned. I have a lot of people who come and help me out, such as music director Steve Carson. That makes the situation a lot more fun,” said director Kelly Cooper.
Andrew Murray plays the lead role of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in this year’s production. “Playing my character is fun but it’s also a lot of work. It’s more lines than I’ve ever had my entire life but I enjoy it. I know it’s going to be a good show,” said Murray. “This year’s show is different because last year there were a lot of seniors in the show, I am the only returning lead. There are I think 9 returning people out of the group we have. So it’s a really different group of people this year, but it’s a good group. I really enjoy working with them. One thing I would say is that everyone has a really good work ethic and they all work really hard. I really like that.”
The musical will be on March 14, 15, and 16 and tickets will be $5 for students and $8 for adults. You can buy tickets in advance starting March 4.
“There’s nothing like seeing a play and being an audience member. There’s just a unique connection between the cast and the audience that can only be experienced by actually being there and seeing the show yourself,” said Cooper. “We always put on top quality work. If you want to have a good laugh you should definitely come out and see Young Frankenstein. It is hilarious!”
By Natalya Lunsford
