This was the very first musical Mr. Schaefer had the opportunity to tech and produce at Webster Groves High School and it was an adventure in collaboration within the Drama department and other departments as well. Mrs. Romanowksi Directed and Scott Kinworthy Music Directed.
Let's sing and dance!
The Hot Box Girls performing the famous number "Take off Your Mink"
The auditions were tough and the cast was enormous! Lots of students showed up to be a part of the show. We tried to cast as many as we could to ensure that we had a full stage for the many group numbers. Doing a classic musical like this, we had to make sure we kept the style and energy the creators intended. This musical goes to many "city" scenes and that is always a challenge in live theater.
The Cast (listed at the bottom of this post) was hung on the drama room door and we got started.
Rehearsals were long and the kids worked really hard learning all the music for the show, their blocking and the dances.
Chris, Jack and Ian performing the "Fugue of Tin Horns" at the opening of the show!
Lots of highlights in this show!
Many stand-out performances
in this very talented cast!
Maggie, Jack, Chris and Robin playing the power couples in the show!
We had the stage packed full of people during several moments in the production. They all had to sing and many of them also did some very complicated choreography.
The Technical challenges in this show were many. It was a new space for Mr. Schaefer to be working in and he was coming from a non-proscenium space. The Tech Theater classes were still being taught in the English Dept and hadn't really gotten into working out of the Little Theater yet. Some of the equipment was being fixed, replaced and the theater was generally in a state of minor repair. This was last show we performed in the space with the old cordless microphones the department had been using....
"We don't have headsets for this theater? What? Really?
How do we call a show in here? ...ok...We'll just make it work!"
- Mr. Schaefer
The SCENIC DESIGN
We had a very large stage and many set pieces.
We made one turntable unit for the "Hot Box Theater" and sewer scenes, and one wagon unit for the Salvation Army office scenes. There was a newsstand unit, a park bench and some road work markers with a sewer lid.
The classes really kicked out some work on the set and we only had a few headaches with the turntable. Over all the set worked out pretty good! The buildings and telephone pole really worked great behind our half brick wall background.
The after school set crews all came in and worked really hard getting the details done. Scenic artists and technicians put in time painting and with the lights!
The designs for the lighting practicals flown in for some of the street scenes to suggest the marquees on the big city buildings. They lit up and created a really neat dimension on stage.
The Salvation Army set unit that was built as a wagon unit The payphone.
The Hot Box Theater interior, it actually got tilted
and came out from SR to open room for dancing.
to open up room for more cast and dancing.
The Choir Department really helped with casting for this show. We would have never gotten so many boys if we hadn't had the help of Mr. Kinworthy and his choir boys.
COSTUME DESIGN
We had a huge cast with lots of costumes.
Maggie in a couple of the costumes for the fabulous Adelaide
The Guys!
We were very lucky to still have access to some of Robert Schmidt's Costumes before they headed off to Wood River. We also had some parents sewing for us.
The men had to be in suspenders and colorful ties and shirts. Most were put in suits and fedoras too!
Chris Sears and Robin Lane singing one of the catchy tunes in the show!
The Ladies all had vintage and period dresses with gloves hats.
We had a lot of scene with lots of props. The crews were hustling during the run and the stage managers had their hands full!
The show t-shirt and program-cover design.
Chris and the cast singing the famous "Sit Down You're Rock'n the Boat"
...one of the songs everyone remembers from the show even 9 years later!
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