Baldwin Staging High School Premiere Of `Honeymoon In Vegas'

BALDWIN, PA - Baldwin High School is staging the high school world premiere of Honeymoon in Vegas” for its annual musical. “Honeymoon in Vegas” had a brief Broadway run, but never toured the country so it will be a fresh experience for the audience.

Director Jason Coll makes a habit of choosing lesser-known musicals to stage. Coll prefers to select works that force his actors to develop and embody their characters, rather than just imitating another production.

“No other high school has done this production yet,” he said in a district release. “That gives the kids a chance to create roles they haven’t encountered. I like to challenge all of us to be inventive and push ourselves to forge new ground by staging something no one has seen before.”

This year’s cast is the largest Coll has directed at Baldwin High School, boasting 70 students.

The female lead is Morgan Traud, who received a Gene Kelly Awards best actress nomination for her performance in “Zorro” last year. Playing opposite Morgan is Robbie Miller, who garnered a Gene Kelly Award for best supporting actor in his freshman year for “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The villain in this year’s production is played by John Lima, who is new to musical theater.

The musical centers around a couple as they navigate love against the backdrop of complicated relationships. The play spans the country, following the couple from their home in New York on a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas and a weekend in Hawaii. Full of fabulous music and unexpected plot twists, Honeymoon in Vegas will mesmerize audience from beginning to end. It will even feature an appearance from a skydiving Elvis.

To set the stage for the glittering world of Vegas, the production team knew they needed slot machines, so they spread the word that they were looking and hit the jackpot.

“Every time I turned around, there was another slot machine,” Coll said. “Someone would tell me ‘I have one in my basement you can borrow.’” The crew has constructed gaming tables and more to complete the world of Sin City.

The show will be performed April 11-13 at 7 p.m. and April 14 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. A free show for seniors 62 and older will be performed April 8 at 1 p.m.

Photo via Baldwin-Whitehall School District.