The Marriotts Ridge theater program, run by Mrs. Laura Greffen, performed their first musical of the year, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on November 9th, 10th and 11th. Students in the musical put a great deal of effort into rehearsing and performing this musical for all to enjoy and they share the process and their opinion on their final performance.
This year’s main roles feature Joseph, played by junior Max Ryon, and two female narrators, junior Allison Mehta and senior Jasmine Smith. Auditions were held earlier in the school year, and many factors went into choosing each main lead. Playing the lead role comes with many responsibilities and different expectations than the rest of the cast. Though the majority of the musical requires a group effort, the main leads play a large role in making sure the production and final turnout is in their favor.
“[Being the main lead] is a good experience, I’ve only been the main role in a few other shows, it’s kind of different than having to work on the same level as other people… but it’s unique,” Ryon explained.
Many factors go into picking the main roles and musicals for the year. With Joseph being composed of many songs, one’s ability to sing and having a strong voice was a main deciding factor in who would play each lead. Along with singing being a main factor, Joseph features many different dance routines as well.
“Casting a musical is a bunch of different factors because every show is different…for Joseph we were really looking at expressiveness, energy that they give off, acting, there is a lot of dancing… it’s really all three,” Mrs. Greffen expressed.
The great time commitment was also considered when casting for this year’s play, students in Joseph essentially dedicate the majority of their afterschool time for rehearsals. Finding students who can commit to the entire musical is difficult due to prior commitments such as SAT preparation, practice or sports, these contingencies are factored into rehearsals and considered when choosing main roles.
“It’s also a time commitment because it’s so many hours after school, there’s a lot of people who are very trained and good in all areas but they might have other conflicting commitments… Some people have sports, jobs, out of time travel, so that sometimes is a factor,” Greffen explained.
A large portion of the production and the outcome of the show comes from the rest of the cast and their hardwork and dedication. Much of the production is from the help of others outside the theater program, such as costume designers, choreographers and working with other teachers, such as Mr. Rawlings for the ensemble and the featured children’s choir.
“We worked with Mr. Rawlings on vocals, Mrs. Greffen, and then we have costumes and outside people come in to choreograph, it’s been a lot of work,” senior Cora Selzer said.
Joseph contains many special components that past musicals have not always had, one of which being the children’s choir, featuring kids from second through eighth grade. The musical is also set in ancient times, yet is performed using modern day antics, like Elvis Presley, 70’s fashion and more.
Opening night was most definitely a hit, with many in attendance who enjoyed all the show had to offer. Max Ryon delivered an incredible performance as Joseph, and Allison Mehta and Jasmine Smith as the narrators played their parts fantastically.
“Max was amazing, not a single note was lacking. The emotional execution was just so raw and the narrators were so amazing,” junior Simar Saini expressed.
Students who went also noted how wonderful the arts department is as a whole at the school. Marriott Ridge is full of students who are enabled to bring out their artistic talents, especially through performances such as the fall play.
“I think that it’s important that we continue to spread the arts of the school around more…it’s really cool that we’re able to do musicals and see how talented people are at our school like choir and our music performances,” said senior Makayla Johnson, who noted that she would love to see future plays.
Students in the play believed the outcome was a result of their hard work. Many appreciated the good reviews about the play and felt that it was one to remember.
“I think [Joseph] was really good, we heard a lot of good reviews from other people and I think the hard work was definitely worth it,” freshman Ashwini Bandi said.
Teachers also seemed to enjoy the play and seeing the hard work of their own students. Environmental teacher Mrs. Kol, who saw all four shows, had rave reviews of the play and all that she enjoyed about it.
“I loved it because it was so entertaining… It’s definitely a complicated storyline but the music was so awesome and it’s so funny. The part [of Joseph] was made for Max, he was so amazing but so were the other brothers…and the ensemble of course… I wish more people would have been able to make it,” Mrs. Kol said.
Overall Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was a hit, where students were able to show off their musical talents through singing and dancing. Students will have to stay tuned for the upcoming performance, Chicago, which will be showcased in spring of second semester, and again display the talents of Marriotts Ridge’s very own theater program.