“It’s really fun getting to work with everyone, said Kat Aten, an eighth-grader on the Dolphins team and stage manager of “James and the Giant Peach,” which is debuting on May 1.
“James and the Giant Peach” follows a boy named James, who, after being ordered by his aunts to chop down their tree, finds a magic potion. It grows a huge peach, which rolls into the ocean. Later, James befriends a group of singing insects, and they journey on the giant peach together while facing all types of disagreements and dangers.
Some of the songs and choreography in the musical include “Right Before Your Eyes”, “Shake It Up”, and “Plump And Juicy”.
Mr. Mic Harmon, Rachel Carson’s drama teacher and director of the musical, said he loves the songs in “James and the Giant Peach” especially.
“The songs are very old-fashioned Broadway style, which I thought I would introduce to the cast. The musicals they’re usually introduced to have a more modern soundtrack,” said Mr. Harmon. “There’s something very optimistic about old-fashioned Broadway music, and that’s the impression of this whole play; it’s about finding your own people, and it’s very hopeful.”
Elliot Weiss, 13, on the Dolphins team, plays James in “James and the Giant Peach.” He said he really enjoys the dance component of the musical.
“I like all of the dance numbers in James and the Giant Peach. They are the most fun and exciting because there’s a lot of movement going on,” Elliot said.
There is also a technical aspect to the play, which includes working on costumes, lights, sound, and props.
Francesca Neves, 13, on the Champions team, is an assistant stage manager for “James and the Giant Peach”. She said she is very passionate about the tech features.
“My favorite feature is the unique props that we used,” Francesca said.
Kat agrees with Francesca.
“I like when we find pieces of a potential costume that we can assemble with the crew, and when we’re working on the set & props,” Kat said. “It’s really fun getting to work with everyone; both actors and tech.”
The cast and crew’s main wish is that they had more time.
Francesca said, “If I could go back in time, I would probably change the date we started rehearsing to earlier, to make room for more improvement.”
Mr. Harmon agrees.
“I’m still learning the process, but I would have done scheduling stuff differently, especially starting costumes and props sooner,” he said.
