Behind the scenes, the HS Drama production group has been practicing to present their musical “Dare to Dream.” The show consists of a medley of Disney songs like “You Have a Friend in Me” from Toy Story, “How Far I Go” from Moana, “Let it Go” from Frozen, and “Go the Distance” from Hercules, written to celebrate Disney’s 100th anniversary.
“The theme is about dreams,” Suzanne Jenner, drama teacher, said. “The musical is about a group of people who come into the Disney studio and discuss their dreams—if they have a dream, what they are about, and if it is important to have one. I chose Disney because I was told before I arrived here that SIS students loved Disney.”
Auditions were held on Aug. 28 and Sept. 2, and students were asked to either sing a song of their choice from the medley or perform a 30-second Elevator Pitch—a brief summary of their character’s dreams. Ms. Jenner and Mary Kate Maney, choir teacher, oversaw the auditions and will direct the production.
“Not only am I directing, but I am also in charge of the backstage crew and helping them to learn backstage skills as well,” Ms. Jenner said. “Ms. Maney is doing all the music direction, which is fabulous.”
Although there is still more than a month left until the performance, the participants have already begun practicing. Leilani Rodriguez (10), soloist in “Remember Me” from Coco and ensemble singer, explained that the production team has been meeting twice a week to practice since the third week of school. Each practice lasts two hours, and participants review and rehearse the music.
The first Saturday rehearsal took place on Sept. 28, and students learned the choreography for the first time. Singers were also able to practice projecting on stage and familiarize themselves with the set. Ms. Jenner mentioned that she appreciated how quickly the students picked up the dancing.
“I chose to join because my dream is to become an actress when I grow up,” Leilani said. “I wanted to take as many steps now as I could to improve my skills and get closer to that goal. My favorite part has been seeing how other people’s passions align with mine.”
Beyond actors, many other members of the SIS community have been contributing to the preparation for the musical. For example, members of the Media Club will design promotional elements for the musical. Sarah Kim (12), Media Club executive, explained that Media Club will be designing the playbill and some posters for this year. For ‘Alice in Wonderland’ last year, the club made the backdrop, playbill, logo, and posters.
“I am also Player 1 in ‘Dare to Dream,’” Sarah said. “The songs that I have to sing are all high, so I am struggling a bit with that. I am worried that once I am doing choreography, my voice will be really shaky and I will struggle to hit the notes. My favorite part, though, is how upbeat everything is. There is never a dull moment, and there is always something going on.”
Ms. Jenner also agreed that the musical songs were challenging, adding that it was difficult for the students to sing and dance without rest for the one-hour show. It was also challenging to ensure that each song was similar in quality.
The musical is scheduled to be shown on Nov. 6-7, with the elementary school as the first audience. After the first performance, last-minute improvements will be made before the second and third performances. All the participants in the musical expressed a desire for the musical to be received positively by the audience.
“I hope that everyone likes the musical, because we have been working on it really hard for a long time,” Leilani said.
