Heritage Takes on West Side Story

Montana Brown, Heritage High School’s drama department director, knew it would be hard to come up with a spring musical as popular as last year’s production, Legally Blonde - The Musical. 

“I struggled to find something as epic, and then decided that West Side Story would be a good show for our school,” Brown said. “Everyone told me there is no way you are going to pull this off.”

This weekend, the community is invited to come and see how they did just that.

More than 100 students auditioned for a cast of 50; that’s more auditions than any other show Heritage has put on. 

To draw the students in, Brown billed it as a Gangs of New York meets Romeo and Juliet type of show, complete with fight choreography and dancing, and she told them, “It will be fun!”

The cast includes three varsity soccer players, who will sacrifice a game to participate in one of the performances. 
“We have involvement from a diverse group of students,” Brown said.

This is Brown’s first time working with the high school’s new choral director, Heather Vereb, which has given the production a special element, Brown said. 

The biggest challenge, she said, was teaching the Jet Boys characters the complicated songs and choreography. The boys have worked every day after school since December and the group has really bonded, Brown said.

“We have definitely put a lot of resources, time, energy and sweat into the show so we hope people will come and see it and enjoy what we think is a real quality production,” she said.

Shows:

• Thursday, April 18 at 7 p.m.
• Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, April 20 at 2 p.m. and at 7 p.m.

Tickets cost $10.