From auditions to audio, Upper Arlington High School students are using their expertise to bring this year’s show to life. This year, the chosen musical is “The Sound of Music,” a stage adaptation of the memoir “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers” by Maria von Trapp. The esteemed musical first debuted in 1965 with a run time of two and a half hours and marked its 60th anniversary this year.
Vocal Music Director Brandon Moss reflected on why he chose “The Sound of Music.
“I wanted to do a piece that was very different from “Mean Girls”… something that would require the [students] to use their voices and acting talents in a completely different way. And it’s just a classic show that hasn’t been done here for a very long time,” he said.
This year’s musical consists of around 60 cast members and 50 crew members working behind the scenes.
Senior Marley Nemeth, the actress who plays Maria Von Trapp, is excited to be a part of the show.
“I’ve never been a lead in a high school show before and this show is something that’s just always been so close to my heart… so it’s just super special to be able to, specifically be this character as a lead in my senior show,” Nemeth said.
Stage Manager junior Zoe Kourlas echoed the sentiment about the show this year.
“It’s one of my favorite musicals of all time, and you really fall in love with the family. Even when I’m watching the rehearsals, I just find myself smiling because they’re so cute,” Kourlas said.
Hours of work go into putting on a good production. Nemeth recounted her preparations.
“I am memorizing lines every single night. I have voice lessons once a week to work on my music with my voice teacher. Every night before I go to bed, I look over my blocking and I look over my lines, and I just think through in my head what I need to be doing, specifically from what we’ve learned that day,” she said.
Kourlas oversees the production from the inside.
“I’m there to take attendance and make sure everything’s in order and everybody’s where they’re supposed to be, and make sure rehearsals run smoothly. It should be really cool. It’s going to be very Austrian, like you feel immersed into the experience.” She said.
The cast’s passion and dedication are unparalleled, which is what takes the production to the next level, according to Moss.
“We’ve got [some] really talented students in it, and it’s just a great job. It’s going to be a great show,” Moss said.
Nemeth explained her love for theater.
“I’ve always loved to sing, and I’ve always been a dancer, and so I really like just being able to do acting, singing and dancing all at the same time. And I also really love seeing the impact that our shows always have on the audience. I think it’s really special,” Nemeth said.
As for the importance of the tradition of spring musical performances, Kourlas had some thoughts to add.
“It’s important to appreciate the arts and, maybe it’s not usually what you go see, or not usually what you do, but I mean, it’s going to be entertaining. And I think it’s important to support your friends, especially if you know people in it, and also just help the school, because the money that we get from this also goes back to help us do more productions,” Kourlas said.
Nemeth also shared her sentiment about students coming to see the production.
“They should look forward to seeing their peers in… a different light than academically… not just how well they do in classes in school but also [that] people have so many other talents other than what you see,” she said.
The musical company’s hard work culminated on Feb. 13-16. The four performances, each to a crowd of 1,500 people, were a celebration of student voices and the arts.
