Audience members who went to the Cheney High School Drama Club's production of "Way, Way Off Broadway," Dec. 4-5, at the Little Theatre, got a glimpse of the history of musical theater.
During the two-act show - written and directed by club adviser Rita Tingley, choreographed by Riley Scott, along with musical accompaniment by Jacob Scott and Suzy Passey - students performed various musical numbers such as classic Broadway productions from "Showboat," "Oklahoma," "Fiddler on the Roof," as well as songs from more recent musicals like "Rent," "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Mama Mia." The cast also performed songs from Disney animated movies that were later adapted to Broadway.
Musical performances varied from solos, such as junior Jeremiah Keller-Williams' rendition of "If I Were a Rich Man," from "Fiddler on the Roof," and freshman Abigael Dotson's "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," from "Evita," to the entire cast coming on stage to sing "Summer Nights" from "Grease" and "There's No Show Business Like Show Business" from "Annie Get Your Gun."
In addition to enjoying the music, the audience laughed at the comedy from Carter Eagen and Jonathan Hill, who portrayed the masters of ceremonies in the first act, and Nick Null and Connor Newberry as Aladdin and the Genie, respectively, in the second act.
Before the show, Tingley explained that the drama club went from 15 students to 60 which quickly depleted the club's budget. Space was another challenge for the club as the Little Theatre is not an adequate space for 60 students to practice, according to Tingley. It also did not have backroom space or areas to do makeup, construct sets and make costumes.
Despite the challenges, Tingley spent the next several months helping develop the students' singing, dancing and confidence on stage.
"Many of them were already great at monologues but the thought of singing and dancing on stage terrified them," Tingley said.
The club came up with "Way, Way Off Broadway" as a way to help students not only conquer their fears of performing on stage, but also let them sing and dance to their favorite Broadway songs. Tingley noted the cast's progression over the last four months, saying they've "gone from being so scared to perform on stage to now being able to bring their characters to life."
Senior Mariah Arlint, who performed solo in both acts, said the club has become like a "family."
"By the end of it ('Way, Way Off Broadway'), we've all become so close, like a family," Arlint said. "It's so wonderful."
The drama club will perform "Little Women" at the Little Theatre later this year. Their final production, "Lil' Abner" a musical based on the comic strip of the same name, which satirizes politics, gender roles and rural American culture, will be held at Eastern Washington University's Showalter Hall in the spring.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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