By Keegan Donoghue ’22
Last March, the students and teachers involved in the BHS Spring Musical were beginning their tech rehearsals in preparation for opening night. The bright lights were shining on stage to reveal the enchanted woods and the whimsical characters within it. The prince was
giving a ball, and the glass slipper was nowhere to be found. You guessed it, the show was Cinderella! As the cast and crew eagerly awaited opening night, COVID-19 cases began spreading throughout the U.S., and, unfortunately, the show they had worked so hard on was shut down.
Throughout quarantine, the future of the 2021 spring musical was unclear. But this did not stop Mrs. Pilanen-Kudlik, the director of the show. The musical this year is a medley made up of songs from Something Rotten, Les Misérables, Jekyll and Hyde, Next to Normal, Newsies, Kinky Boots, and The Wizard of Oz. Despite the difficult circumstances, Mrs. PK created an exciting, fun, and most of all safe environment for all who were involved. Choreographing all of the lively dance numbers is Mr. Suiniuch. From the dramatic numbers of Le Mis to the impressive tap routines in Newsies, you can bet Mr. Suiniuch will create show stopping dance moves to go along with the music. Speaking of music, Mr. Costa and the pit band members are making recordings of each song to go along with the cast members singing.
What were some of the best parts of creating this show? – I asked Mrs. PK.
“The best part is being able to see so many students get a chance to shine in a solo or small group performance role. Being able to do dancing rehearsals at school when we couldn’t sing together in person also brought great joy to me, and I think the students involved.”
What were some of the challenges you faced?
“The biggest challenge is all of the audio and video collecting and editing that needs to be done to make the final product. It is endless hours of creating click tracks, updating files, and actually editing all of the final recordings.”
What has kept you inspired during the preparation for this show?
“I didn’t know how else to bring the musical experience to as much of ‘normal’ as I could. I didn’t want the year to pass without my students experiencing some sort of musical production.”
Is there anything else you would like to add?
“Although I have learned so much about audio and video recording and editing, I hope we never have to do a show like this again! It is so much work to not be able to just teach in person, and it definitely is more pleasing when you can perform for a live audience.”
This year’s show was definitely different, but with all that we have gone through in 2020-2021, I believe that the challenges have made the victory of successfully putting on a show that much sweeter. The BHS Spring Musical Medley will not only last a weekend, but a lifetime in wonderful memories. The show will be on BevCam in early June, so make sure to tune in!
