Nearly 50 students at the Sleepy Hollow Middle School are taking part in this year’s musical, The Sound of Music, youth edition. The talented group will take to the stage in Kusel Auditorium on January 19 at 7 p.m. and then again on January 20 at 11:30 a.m.
Last year, after the performance of Peter Pan the students got together and made a list of several musicals they would like to perform. They excitedly decided that The Sound of Music was the right one for them. “It was a classic story with lots of roles where everyone can have their moment to shine,” said Natalie Arneson, Director of Musicals at Sleepy Hollow High School and Middle School. “We talked about the true story versus this version, the writers of the musical for this version intentionally wrote it for young people to perform.”
Approximately 35 students are acting in the musical, while about 15 will be part of the crew. For the students this experience taught them what it’s like to be a part of a show. “They are really into it, the fact they are is awesome. They have been practicing since the fall,” said Ms. Arneson. “The crew are running the light cues and sound cues, they are running the tracks, mixing and running the sound for the microphones. They are helping with the stage by moving furniture.”
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The students also learned about character research. They dove into the world of the play and learned about history. They were each asked to do a project, some worked in groups of two or three, while others worked alone.
“Everyone did a research project as part of it. I picked a topic, such as the characters or places. The students who are assigned a character researched that person while everyone else was allowed to choose a topic from the list or one of their own. They got really into it,” said Ms. Arneson. “The projects will be on display in the lobby for all to see before and after the show.”
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The show is able to run because of a grant that was received last year. “We are excited because this means it’s accessible for everyone,” said Ms. Arneson. “Students in the musical can invite their whole families to see them perform. Which is wonderful and any donations at the door will help with future productions.”
