The Show Must Go On: Student Cast Rallies After School Closures

PLEASANTON, CA — Forty-five actors, 35 musicians and 15 crewmembers participating in the Pleasanton Unified School District's "All Shook Up" musical had spent four months preparing for the six shows scheduled to kick off with a Friday, March 13 opening night performance at the Amador Valley High School theater. But as the new coronavirus spread throughout California, the school board decided that same day to shutter schools and call off events.

Students learned hours before the opening night show that they'd only get one shot at performing the musical, to an empty audience.

Amador Valley High music teacher and "All Shook Up" producer Mark Aubel wasn't sure how the students would react. He was prepared to console students.

What followed was "one of the most magical moments I've had in 34 years of teaching," he said.

Aubel was tinkering with a microphone backstage as students started to arrive and apply their stage makeup. He said he teared up after stepping into the theater and discovering that students had set up 250 stuffed animals in seats at the theater.

A night that should have been sad became a lifelong memory for Aubel.

"I was floored by the student response," he said.

PUSD's two high schools — Amador Valley High and Foothill High — had separate casts for "All Shook Up." The casts took turns, switching places at intermission.

It was a show for the books, despite the last-minute hiccups. The students' joy was palpable, he said.

Though a crowd of teddy bears and plush cartoon characters and animals looked on, Aubel said it felt like there were 10,000 people in the audience.

"The students had so much passion and energy and love for what they were doing and for each other," Aubel said. "When we played the last note, they just let out a scream and started hugging each other."

The City of Pleasanton will contact "All Shook Up" ticketholders to arrange refunds.