Based on the 1980 movie of the same name, the vivacious spirit of Fame took the stage under the direction of David De Silva, with book by Jose Fernandez, music by Steve Margoshes and lyrics by Jacques Levy. The musical made its debut in 1988 in Miami, Florida, as Fame on 42nd Street, and was later showcased in an Off-Broadway run from 2003 to 2004. Set in the context of the emerging artistic styles of the 80s, this show intertwines the individual challenges of eleven uncommonly talented students. As they grapple with the trials of their adolescence and of their art, these teens compete for the triumph of fame.

The spotlight of the night was stolen by Telos Fuller in the role of Tyrone, a dyslexic, macho dancer. From the moment Fuller first swaggered onto the stage, he had a gravitational presence, bolstered by his rich voice and pure suave. He carried the drama of the show, particularly in “Tyrone’s Rap,” where he embraced the unique stylization in a crescendo of emotional intensity. Shelly Walsh, as the quirky actress Serena, was another standout. Her adorably spastic demeanor and innocent crush on ambitious actor Nick Paizza (Nate McGraw) charmed the audience members. As Walsh and McGraw interacted in their duets, their natural chemistry and melodic harmonies made them a heart-warming pair.

Though the ensemble cast at times seemed to lack enthusiasm, there were many dance scenes that showcased explosive choreography. Additionally, a number of supporting performers ignited the stage: Matthew Stewart, as the love-stricken class clown Joe, made the audience roar with laughter with his over-the-top expressions and deadpan comic delivery. Sierra Orr, as the larger than life dancer Mabel, was also wonderfully hilarious in her song “Maybel’s Prayer,” as she laments the ineffectiveness of her “see-food” diet in which seeing food is always a prelude to eating it. Two of the teachers at the arts academy, Ms. Sherman (Corinne MacLean) and Ms. Greta Bell (Jackie Mass) approached their roles with impressive maturity, as they fought over the importance of the arts and academics with captivating intensity.

Despite several minor issues, the technical elements contributed to the vivacious vibe of the production. The 80s-style costumes were eye-catching and funky, and, with the help of the performers’ period hair and make up, they transported the audience back to the age of disco and leg warmers. Though sound glitches tripped up a few scenes, the jiving beats of the orchestra enhanced the lively atmosphere.

In a show brimming with talent, Freedom High School’s unforgettable production of Fame certainly made the audience “remember its name.”

by Marielle Burt of McLean High School

Photo Gallery

Amanda Starkey, Jewel Thomas, Victoria Romano, Jamie Galpin, Morgan Taylor, Molly McDonald, Katheryne Dean	Entire cast
Front four are Morgan Taylor, Telos Fuller, Jackie Mass and Katheryne Dean	Kathernyne Dean flying through the air

Photos provided by Freedom High School

Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on the novel by Gaston Leroux, the musical tells of a mysterious “opera ghost” inhabiting the Paris Opera house. Hackles are raised after new owners, Monsieurs Firmin and Andre, struggle with the demands of both the phantom and the prima donna Carlotta, while chorus girl Christine’s loyalties are torn between childhood sweetheart Raoul and the mysterious phantom. The Phantom of the Opera opened on West End in 1986 and moved to Broadway in 1988 where it continues to hold the record as the longest running show in Broadway history having recently passed its 10,000 performance and has amassed numerous Drama Desk and Tony awards.

Strong vocals are crucial to driving the plot and creating an emotional impact in the show, and in this aspect, the leads excelled. Taylor Del Vecchio’s versatility was impressive; as Christine she was equally at ease with sweet and low melodies as she was with spot-on operatic notes. As the phantom, Tim Lewis’s silky, entrancing voice was perfectly suited to the character while Tyler Cramer’s steady voice maintained the sense of security that Christine finds so appealing in Raoul.

Every good prima donna knows how to steal the spotlight and, as Carlotta, Shelly Walsh did just that. An indomitable whirlwind, Walsh sang with power and control beyond her years and played the star with the perfect amount of comedic timing. Never losing character, she elevated the status of Carlotta from intolerable diva to yappy lapdog, annoying, but all the more endearing for it. Jim McCarthy and Nate Boorom, Firmin and Andre respectively, performed at their best when together. Whether acting or singing they were a hilarious and impressive couple. The cast’s shining moment came during “Prima Donna.” The cast’s voices flowed and mixed beautifully in the complex number involving seven characters and a great amount of concentration.

Faced with the difficulty of bulky sets, huge candelabras, and a plethora of extension cords, the running crew was remarkably effective. Crew members were hardly ever seen moving set pieces through difficult, yet smooth transitions, giving the illusion of automated changes. The phantom’s lair was executed very well, with great control of fog effects and a romantic array of candles fabricated by the prop crew.

Freedom High School tackled the musical beast that is Phantom with fervor, performing a spectacular production.

by Gretchen Kuhn of Briar Woods High School

Based on the work of the same name by the Irish playwright John O’Keeffe, McLure’s comedy centers around actors Jack Rover and Harry Thunder (Bryan Kress and Patrick Carnes), best friends who have decided to go their separate ways. Jack comes upon Harry’s cousin and arranged fiancee, Kate Thunder (Kaitlyn Vickers), and they immediately fall head over heels in love with each other. Jack, however, believes that he must impersonate Harry to win Kate. When the real Harry appears, everything gets turned upside down as the characters try to sort out this case of mistaken identities.

Vickers was compelling and dynamic as Kate, channeling Shakespeare’s shrew of the same name to turn herself into an unrefined yet romantic madame who kept the show going with the charisma and grace of a western belle. She played well with Kress, creating real chemistry between Jack and Kate that was easy to see onstage as they courted one another.

Tim Lewis was pleasantly devious in the role of the minister Ephraim Smooth. Wonderfully sleazy, he made himself more and more hated with every cunning sideways glance and devilish aside to the audience. Aaron “Russ” Starkey’s believable and endearing obliviousness and naivete as Sim Gammon brought a steady stream of laughs, providing humor even in his squeaky vocalization. Katie Graves and Jessica Salazar appeared to be two parts of the same person as the mad scientists Ms. Kilegle and Ms. Leako, exchanging banter tit for tat with impeccable give and take.

The energy of the show did lag at times, causing parts of the complicated plot to become lost or confused. Actors had difficulties maintaining accents and did trip over lines in places, but the members of the cast made up for this fact with their commitment to their parts.

Set changes were made quickly and efficiently, helping to keep the pace of the show moving forward. Lighting helped transition the show as well, although the use of spotlights was uneven and distracting at times.

Ultimately, the players at Freedom put on a show worthy of the Old West. With a large and capable cast and gags galore, the real wild oats that the play sowed were the laughs that the audience left with.

by Chris Papas of Oakton High School

Photo Gallery

Monica Thappa and Bryan Mass	Kaitlyn Vickers

Photos by Nathan McGraw.

Bornath, as Hugo and Frederick (who never appear on stage at the same time), was excellent as creating a distinction between the two characters. Even without the aid of a jacket to help the audience tell his characters apart, this critic was able to distinguish between the two with ease. His voice and mannerisms changed flawlessly to create two very different characters. Topper, one of the most subtly funny characters of the night, said her lines with perfectly timed delivery, drawing laughter from the audience especially from lines that were clearly improvised. A blanket that became stuck under her wheelchair by accident was perfectly covered up, so that it was hard to tell it wasn’t part of the script. Although the cast was perfectly cast, some characters stood out more through their stage presence than others. Jessica Salazar, as Mother, lit up the stage with her boisterous and comical personality without dominating the scene, and Patrice, played by Anthony Wrotten, though a minor character, commanded the audience’s attention whenever he was speaking.

Though the play was set in France, many characters chose to use British accents, which although may not have matched the setting were still pulled off with a fair amount of skill. An actor who was particularly good at this was Scott Keeler, who played Joshua, the old and comical butler. Although some actors lacked focus and diction at times which made jokes hard to hear, and some actors could have made stronger acting choices, overall the cast worked very well together. One scene that stood out was a catfight between Klein and Vickers’ characters which seemed incredibly real.

The set for the show was one of this critic’s favorite features. Though there was only the one set of the interior of the house, it was done beautifully, very realistically, and matched perfectly with the setting and time period. The masterful execution was orchestrated by students Vy Pham, Jared Solomon and Andrew Barnett. The lighting, which at one point mimicked the effect of fireworks, was also impressive and was designed by Cody Jones.

All in all, Ring Round the Moon made for a very humorous night that left the audience wanting to know more about the plotting lives of the Desmortes household.

by Emily Mannon of Langley High School

The Music Man was adapted from a story written by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey, and then was later adapted into a musical by Meredith Wilson. On December 19, 1957, the original Broadway production opened, which was directed by Morton DaCosta and choreographed by Onna White. The Music Man made its first Broadway revival on June 5, 1980 at the New York City Center starring Dick Van Dyke as Professor Hill and Meg Bussert as Marian.

Professor Harold Hill, a con man, decides to create a scheme to have a boys marching band in River City, Iowa. Hill tells the townspeople that it would be in their best interest to have a marching band to prevent the sins that come with the game of billiards. The River City townspeople put their “chip on the shoulder attitude” aside and fall completely under Hill’s spell. However, Marian, the local librarian, sees that Harold Hill is up to no good and is determined to stop him before the whole town in put into chaos. As Marian is playing detective, she will find romance and thrilling adventure.

The ensemble lacked drive in the beginning but once they came together, the atmosphere of a small town was felt and characterization proved to be solid. The River City children added delightfully to the ensemble creating a distinction between the children, teenagers, and the adults on stage. Ryan Smith (Harold Hill) had brilliant stage presence through his agile mannerism as a con man to the accurate emotion of romance with Diane Meck (Marian) during the scene at the footbridge. Cody Lester (Mayor Shinn) brought the role of the word-bumbling, proud mayor to life, keeping the audience continuosly laughing while he maintained solid characterization throughout the show. Brittany Klein‘s (Ms. Paroo) Irish accent was perfect and flowed evenly during the song “If You Don’t Mind Me Saying So”. In addition, her motherly charm added to the delivery of her character’s persona. The Quartet (Andrew Lamont, Tim Lewis, Kyle Perkins, and Patrick Carnes) had good harmony and sounded sweet during “Lida Rose” kneeling as they sang “at the suggestion I’ll pop the question.”

The set, constructed by Ryan Smith, revealed the quaintness of a small town and used levels to display dimension including the backdrop with the town stores and the moveable buildings. The orchestra played strongly with intonation, but occasionally faltered at pacing. The choreography, by Diane Meck, had precision and fluidity especially during “Marian the Libarian” with the dancer’s flips and use of the books, and “Shipoopi”, that featured waltzes with spinning and lighthearted steps.

Freedom High School’s production of The Music Man trumpeted all “Seventy-Six Trombones.”

by Hannah Wing of C.D. Hylton High School