Philomath Performing Arts, brought by Philomath Middle School. Directed by Jolene Latz.
I saw Cast B today and I will say, they are super performing troopers! No matter the technical difficulties, mostly non-working mics and projection fails, they just kept on singing and dancing. If I counted my program correctly, there were 85 kids onstage and a whole gaggle of them backstage!
Overall, the staging was clever with movable components to suggest specific rooms in the castle as well as exterior landscape. It was easy for the tech crew to move into place and it looked pretty, too. Costumes were well done and consistent throughout which had to be challenging considering how many kids there were. Choreography was sweet with just the right amount of movement, perfect for the number of people and the cast stayed in sync. Vocals were very good, considering the age level of the performers. Wireless mic problems prevented today’s matinee audience from actually hearing huge pieces of vocals from lead characters; however, the commitment from the performers was there and the audience clapped heartily for them!
Some standouts for me were: Olaf, played by Janice Hellesto! She was so full of energy with great comedic timing! Grown Anna, played by Hanna McDaniel who was so serious and focused with her vocals. Grown Elsa, played by Brooke McDaniel, who had some great comedic moments and powered through her mic issues with grace. Middle Elsa, played by Jessica McLennan, who powered through her mic problems with grace. The buddy chemistry with Kristoff, played by Jonathon Doig, and Sven, played by Riven Benson. The Duke of Weselton, played by Ben McGovern, was fierce and Hans, played by Liam Bennett, was charming even after his evilness was revealed.
All the students did a fantastic job and should be very proud of what they accomplished with this show! Performing Arts are vital to the development of our kids, culture, and community. Major kudos to all the staff and parents who worked this show, supporting the kids in their efforts, and keeping the performing arts alive in our schools!!
Support the Performing Arts within our schools by donating to the Philomath Performing Arts Benefit Fund which supports Concert Band, Choir, Theater, and Jazz Band. Click HERE for more info and ways to donate.