With a new school year comes a new season for Horizon’s drama department! This year is bound to be eventful. In the past, the department has put on a fall play and a spring musical, but this year, the directors are taking on the challenge of producing two musicals- starting with the holiday special Irving Berlin’s White Christmas!
The musical is based on the 1954 Paramount Pictures film of the same name, following performer and former soldier Bob Wallace as him and show partner, Phil Davis, put on a holiday show at an inn to help out his former army general. The show features a distinct 1950s flair with catchy tunes and dazzling choreography.
Theater director Kelsey Morse is cheerful about this choice, saying that White Christmas has been on her bucket list of shows to direct for a long time. Initially, the musical was going to be another dream show of hers, Chicago, but when Legacy High School took the idea, she and the other theater crew decided this would be a great opportunity to perform two medium-sized musicals instead of one big one. She knew she wanted to do some kind of holiday musical, and with the musical itself opening around Veteran’s Day, the opportunity to do White Christmas was perfect. The actors are excited to get back on stage and see the whole thing come together with dancing, music, and overall holiday cheer.
The task of crafting this musical is not without its struggles, Morse reports, as balancing the time spent working on the musical and teaching has been challenging. However, she feels it will all be worth it to see everything come together as a community show, where the actors will be giving it their all to engage the audience- in more ways than one, as this musical will feature a silent auction and possibly staff members’ children in the ending number.
The cast is just as thrilled about putting on this musical and anticipates seeing it completed towards the end. The actors have been working diligently, attending rehearsals every day after school as well as Saturday choreography sessions to perfect their roles. It’s no big surprise that they’re working so hard- the Horizon Drama Program itself is a staple of Horizon as a whole. Continuing the Horizon tradition of offering excellence in the performing arts is what Morse and the rest of the cast intend to uphold. Year after year, the program puts on shows that have months of work packed into them, putting on stunning and effortful performances.
I interviewed a few of the cast members about their thoughts on the theater program as a whole in Horizon, and they responded with some valuable insight about what they find special about the program.
I inquired what they felt was the value of Horizon offering a theater program such as this. The actors talked about the community it cultivates and the confidence it inspires. They recited how the drama program allows the cast and crew to make friends that can feel like a family and how it puts everyone into a community where they work with others to create a finished product, allowing people to collaborate and build off of each other.
When asked why they wanted to join theater initially, actors Noah Moreno-Idowu and Adrian Leija said they wanted to try something new and step out of their comfort zone, the latter saying Morse convinced him to try out for Anastasia. Allie Snodderly and Juliet Mendez cited always admiring theater as an art, with Snodderly doing her first show when she was six years old with her brother and Mendez looking to try participating in an activity that she admired.
I asked what they thought was the most challenging part of theater, and the actors responded with exhibiting confidence in many forms. Moreno-Idowu cites remembering his lines. Mendez claims auditions are the most challenging part. Snodderly and Leija spoke of acting without doubts and stepping out of their comfort zone. This goes to show that what can be the most exhilarating part of an activity can also be the most difficult.
Advice that the actors would give to aspiring thespians is varied. Moreno-Idowu advises us to be respectful and kind and to have a good memory. Mendez says to not beat yourself up about your acting. Snodderly suggests talking to people in the program as well as the directors, Mrs. Morse and Mrs. Wallace, who want you to feel confident and do well. Leija exclaims that they should just do it- even if they have doubts, they should just try it and see if they like it!
White Christmas opens on November 9th and plays through November 11th. Tickets will be available sometime in October. The cast and crew hope to see you all there to support their community and all the hard work they have put into making it the best it can be. The audience should expect a fun, light-hearted musical full of glamorous holiday flair and warm fuzzies!
