Schools
The Making of a High School Musical: Act III (Bringing It All Together)
From casting to curtain call, Patch follows the production of "Blood Brothers" at Ocean City High School.
With one week until opening night, the Blood Brothers cast and crew are making final preparations for their live performances.
Costumes are finished, dances are completed, the set is near done and the tech guys are ready to go, as Ocean City High School puts the final touches on a spring musical that will be performed April 7 to 9.
Nancy Karsner has been working on costumes for years, and to do this show, she had to research the the social classes of Liverpool, England, between 1950 and 1970.
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Senior student Alicia Palombo choreographed the dance sequences. She has been dancing for 16 years at The Dance Place in Ocean City. For this show, she created five dance numbers and taught them to the cast.
"I think that if the students keep working on it, the dances will turn out really great. It could end up being the best part of the show," Palombo said.
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Students had a Saturday rehearsal March 19 at which the technical crew assisted. They had to meet the director's needs for lighting and will eventually have to control the sound and microphones as well. The same crew has experience from previous events at the school.
The pit band is also preparing for opening night. This year, the pit is small, consisting only of percussion, synthesizer, violin, saxophone and trombone. Professional musicians supplement the students. The biggest challenge for conductor Donna Schwartz is having the actors on cue.
Schwartz knows from experience that actors have to be closely watched. If the pit does not come in at the right time, someone will be pushed back, and that does not make for a good show.
The road ahead is clear, however one challenge lies in the path. Students in band and choir will be departing for a trip to Disney. They must make sure that they do not lose their voices or become fatigued from the trip. After returning, there are only two days till show time.
Blood Brothers plays 7 p.m. April 7 and 8 and 2:30 p.m. April 9. The show has a PG rating—parents might want to accompany children under 12. Tickets can be ordered by calling 609-399-1290, ext. 1442.
