Reporter’s Note: I am a part of the Centaurus Theater Company and this article is prone to bias.
Centaurus Theater Company, after four months, were proud to present Disney’s musical Newsies!, a fun, heartfelt story of the paperboys of New York in 1899, banding together with other children to make a difference against the giants of their industry. Through love, friendship, clever tricks and leadership, Jack Kelly and the other Newsies make change once and for all in this energetic, rousing, Broadway and Tony-winning musical at CHS!
I was curious about the process of how this show was put together, so I talked to the choir and theater teacher here at Centaurus – Mr. Strand. The first thing that stuck out to me was his determination to do his work for the kids, and how everything was being done to profit the high schoolers, even with the many adults helping in the show.
To start, when asking him how he helped pick Newsies! as the fall musical, he explained the concept of the show along with the factors to choose a show: “I look at a couple of key factors…What is the best all around educational opportunity for our students?…What shows will highlight our strengths and challenge our weaknesses?…Which shows are appropriate for our community?” These help explain how thought was put into both the students and viewers to see how the company could be improved. Mr. Strand also said, “It is a show for students to set high goals and really challenge themselves to achieve them, while also featuring several core strengths that are present within the group. It was also a great fit for the team of directors and their strengths, and a show we felt like the community would be excited to see and support.”
Although when watching the school musical you would see a two hour show and many actors on stage, many forget about the countless faces backstage. Not only do those actors spend months memorizing lines and practicing dance moves, but somebody else has to prepare the blocking and run rehearsal. The same goes with every department and the orchestral pit. Including acting, students can interview to be a part of the light, sound, set, stage management and aesthetics departments. These can involve making a light or sound plan and running the show, building and painting the scene, preparing props, making costumes and helping with hair and makeup.
When I asked Mr. Strand about some of the process and people involved to bring a show to life, he gave us a spotlight into the unseen parts of the show. He said, “A school musical is a huge effort that requires many, many people to bring to fruition. This includes administration, staff, parents, community supporters, and students. We have a student leadership board which does a tremendous amount of work, a team of 8 adults who are all working closely with the project, and a ton of awesome parent volunteers.”
Finally, when asking him about something special about the show Newsies! and the Centaurus Theater Company, he helped explain the embers keeping the fire lit: “Our company has a unique fire and passion that is extraordinary. It is also very civic and justice centered which is really fun to see and work with…There has been a lot of joy around this show that has been beautiful to see. Many students welcome new and old faces into the community in beautiful ways to help tell this great story.”
Overall, Mr. Stand helped give an eye into the parts of putting a show together that most people forget about, along with encouraging people to come help or watch future shows through showing the love he and his students have for the theater.
