It’s not another installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series. It’s the Prairie Ridge musical, Pirates of Penzance, set to open on Friday, March 2. The emotions among the directors and cast members are a mix of excitement and worry because rehearsal time is starting to run out.
Mrs. Stouffer, the vocal director, expressed that “moving forward, the biggest challenge will be learning the music and putting it all together. The show is entirely sung!”
The music in this show is difficult, but the audience will surely love hearing it performed. “It’s different from the music in past PR musicals because it was written in the 1800s. But, it has stood the test of time and has become quite popular over the years. It is easy to appreciate its enjoyable, light-hearted nature,” explained Mr. Blakewell, the director of the pit band.
While the cast tries to stay focused during rehearsals, the whimsical nature of this show lends itself to dramatic outbursts and ridiculous dance moves. Seniors Elaine Cotter and Jackie Shimp both agreed that “the most entertaining part of the show is watching the boys dance and have sword fights.”
The laughter and cast-bonding times that occur in the last days before the show are leading up to the special moment when the show finally has an audience. “I’m most excited for seeing the crowd when the curtain opens,” mentioned Marina Jacobs, a junior who knows that extraordinary feeling never gets old.
Tickets are on sale now, and seats for the six shows are filling fast. Senior Brandon Ankele plans to go see it, exclaiming, “Of course, I love seeing the classic musicals!” Some cast members are spreading information about the show through word of mouth, and some are trying some other interesting tactics. “I’m going to tape posters to the lockers of good-looking men,” declared Jennifer Gulgren, a sophomore.
The cast, crew, and directing team have all been putting forth their best efforts in creating this show, and they hope that there will be a full house for every performance. When asked why PR students and faculty should go see the musical, junior Margaret Schlofner answered, “They just should! Well, when they see all our hard work it will increase appreciation for the arts.”
Performances will be held on March 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10 at 7pm and March 10 at 1pm in the Prairie Ridge Auditorium. Tickets for these performances can be purchased online at ShowTix4U.com. Show your support for the PR music program!
