Staging the school's first musical in more than 20 years, students at Traverse City St. Francis High School will present Cinderella next month.
Tapping the school's deep well of talented female vocalists for four shows in mid-February, the full-length musical is a joint effort between the school's music and drama departments. With the debut performance just over three weeks away, the 26-member cast is rehearsing in earnest.
"The next few weeks we'll be polishing,” said director Fred Szczepanski, who is the music director at St. Francis Catholic Church.
Szczepanski was already familiar with the production as Cinderella was his directorial debut at the Old Town Playhouse in 2000. Maureen Mawby, the musical's producer and co-musical director, said this was a key component to choosing the classic fairy tale when she decided to bring back musical productions to St. Francis — along with a few other practical considerations.
All it took was a quick conversation between the two after Mass last year to launch the venture.
"It was a good fit for our voicing because we just had a right number of men and women in the parts,” Mawby noted of Cinderella. "It is just a perfect musical for our school because we have a K-12 school, so it's not like Grease where we have a more limited audience.”
Mawby directs the school's women's choir, which began six years ago as a mixed choir but evolved into an all-female group, as well as the smaller, more advanced Choralettes ensemble. Last spring at a music festival near Chicago, the women's choir earned first place overall among choirs as well as a superior rating and first place among women's choirs.
Mawby felt the time and talent were right to revive the musical at St. Francis.
"The women's group did so well at festival last year and we have such wonderful talent this year,” she said. "The whole school community there's like a fever going on because they're really excited about [Cinderella.]”
Putting on a major musical production at a smaller school like St. Francis means that everyone involved is already busy with other activities, including sports and music. Participants tuck thrice weekly musical rehearsals into their already jammed schedules, mastering new skills in acting and dancing while singing along the way.
"Since we're strong vocalists, been doing that longer, the acting is harder for us,” said Amanda Wheatley, a junior at the school who plays the Queen.
Gavin Anderson, who portrays Prince Christopher, noted that the dancing provided his biggest challenge.
"I've never danced before,” he said of the waltzing scenes with Cinderella, played by Ayriel Mawby.
Producer Mawby tapped parents and students for help with scenery and costumes. She also recruited the expertise of former St. Francis student Ashley Moeggenberg for the choreography. Currently an assistant producer at the Williamsburg Showcase Dinner Theater, Moeggenberg was in Szczepanski's original Cinderella cast and recalled most of the moves. She is pleased to see musicals return to St. Francis.
"When I was here we had no musical, we had band and that was all,” Moeggenberg said. "The theater program was great but there was no musical.”
Also lending a helping hand to her former school is Central High School senior Keegan Wilson. A veteran stage manager and props maker from Central's annual musicals, Wilson eagerly volunteered her time.
"I wanted to help and to get more experience,” said Wilson, who plans a career behind the scenes in theater. "I can't act, I can't be in front of people, but I love the theater.”
Tickets for Cinderella are now on sale for shows on Thursday, February 15, Friday, February 16, and Saturday, February 17, at 7 p.m. with a matinee at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 18. Prices are $15 for adults and $10 for students 18 and under. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.; call 941-9875 for more information or to reserve tickets.