BHS puts fresh take on musical from the 1940s
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
As far as the drama department at Burlington High School goes, the 2014-15 school year is one of change.
“This is kind of the first of a new era of musicals at BHS,” said Troy Everson, who is directing this year’s spring musical, “Annie Get Your Gun.”
BHS used to sponsor a school musical every other year, and Choral Club did it in the off year. This year, BHS has decided the school will do a one-act play, a musical and a full-length play each year.
After a successful one-act season, BHS will debut “Annie Get Your Gun” Friday and the show will run weekends through March 22.
Friday and Saturday shows are at 7 p.m. and both Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5, and available at the BHS main office, or by emailing Everson at [email protected].
This year’s one-act – which advanced to state for the 12th straight year – was “Lucky Stiff,” which also was a musical. The three-act play is going to be “Almost Maine.”
While BHS has done more modern shows the last few years – “Les Miserables” in 2013 and “Chicago” last spring – “Annie Get Your Gun” was a bit more of a risk, according to Everson.
“I was a little nervous at first, before we announced the show,” Everson said, noting the musical was originally released in the 1940s.
But rather than take the show as is, Everson and co-director Beth Reetz modernized the show. The ensemble is now in 10 numbers versus just four, and the crew has brightened the set.
“They’re all done in bright, primary colors, and Tammy Albrecht has done the costumes to match that.”
There are also about 100 students involved in this year’s show between cast and crew.
“We have a no-cut policy,” Everson said. “With the pit, the stage crew and the cast, we have nearly 100 students in this production.”
The show is double cast, with the lead of Frank played by Sawyer Gilding and Brandon Lindemann, and Annie Oakley played by Emily Kastor and Alexandria Knight.
Several other roles have two different players as well – Tommy (Jacob Burton and Cain Gann), Winnie (Rachel Novak and Samantha Robers) and Buffalo Bill (Moses Crist and Zachary Morrow), Dolly (Grace Boyle and Izzie Moritz), Pawney Bill (Morrow and Crist again), Mrs. Wilson (Samantha Marema and Lydia Crabtree), Sylvia Potter Porter (Abby Korb and Caitlin Fallon), and Mrs. Skylar Adams (Maggie Martin and Nicole Nielsen).
The Oakley siblings are played by Gabe King, Jovanny Estrada, Alyssa Haglund, Ivy Finucane, Leah Zinnen and Alexis Disney.
Members of the male barbershop quartet – both in the show and before the show – are Sam Jorudd, Matt Koenen, Andrew Kawalec and Hunter Morby.
Female quartet members are Kylie Dawley, Morgan Barnett, Crabtree, Fall, Allyson Konz, Karley Nadolski, Abigale Schoepke and Jennifer Panackal.
Chorus members are: Emma Benzow, Samantha Brenner, Stephen Bullian, Lauren Dujardin, Ann Erickson, Annie Gesteland, Luke Howard, Micaela Jensen, Carly Kawalec, Taylor Loar, Kate McGinley, Chloe Ohlfs, Jessica Smith, Thomas Steinbach, Hayley Syens, Reba Thomsen, Eli Trapp, Claire Turke, Melanie Uhlenhake, Emma Urick and Adrianna White.
Penny Yanke is vocal music director. Choreography is by Peggy Morgan Strimple, with Jeremy Fitch the technical director and Robert Thompson the lighting director and Rod Stoughton the sound director.
Colin Galitz is band conductor, programs and publicity are by Carrie Fidler and stage manager is Elisabeth Schopp. Propmaster is Carlos Kassab.
Members of the technical crew are Isaiah Graetz, Oliver Huntress and Zach Schmidt. Stage crew members are Annathea Brenneman, Jacob Jackson, Matt Schmidt, and Emily Ustianowski. Costume crew members are Corinne Aydelotte, Kaitti Haas, Evelyn Harkness, Megan Heather, Isabelle Jagodzinski, Maddie Thompson, and Claudia Van Bolghuis. Courtney Peters is the educational interpreter.
Members of the pit band are Gloria Garay, Anne Marie Lovrine, Adam Fitch, Jordan Rizzo, Ron Pedersen, Charlie Cantrell, Payton Meike, Nathan Nelson, Hunter Hough, Gary Albrecht, Darren Fitch, Bryar Stenzel, Luis Jimenez, Tim Conley, Thomas Allen, Kiefer Elliot, Mike Needham, Claire Halverson, Fidler and Alex Gonzalez.
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