“Curtains” prepares to take center stage
Senior Gabe Webster walks onto stage and feels a “high” of happiness. He says a quick prayer thanking God for the opportunity to be on stage before the curtain opens. He allows the audience’s applause to give him energy through the night.
“Curtains” is a musical within a musical. The story follows the death of an actress on stage and the good and bad events following the murder. Detective Frank Cioffi, played by junior Zach Miller, tries to unravel the murder mystery throughout the show.
“[‘Curtains’ has] a lot of different music, a lot of different dancing, [and] big fun, big colors, [and a] big environment. It is not a typical musical. It is a ton of fun,” sophomore Drew Forthman, who plays Aaron Fox, said.
This show is unlike anything JC has ever done. During the play, three people are killed on stage by an unknown murderer. The show is energetic and fun for the audience as well as the cast, according to Forthman.
“It is different from what we have done, [and] it is going to be fun for everyone,” senior Beni Tasel, who plays Johnny Harmon, said.
The cast members, directors, and set crew have put and will continue to put extreme amounts of time into the show. “To give a set number of hours would not give justice to the people who have been working around the clock for the show,” senior Gabe Webster, who plays Christopher Belling, said.
The closer and closer it gets to performance weekend, the more time is spent in rehearsals. “Rehearsals are hectic with lots of singing and dancing,” Tasel said.
The members of the cast are confident that the show will be ready on time for opening weekend. “I know that every show comes together, and we have nothing to worry about. It is definitely going to be a great show,” senior Julia Henninger, who plays Olivia Shapiro, said.
“The show is coming together nicely. There are some dances that need a little bit of work but other than that the whole show is really coming together,” said sophomore Ella Wilson, a member of the ensemble.
Members of the cast enjoy the show. “I like the show a lot. I was not sure if I was going to like it because it is goofy, and not a lot of people know the show but, it is a really great show,” Henninger said.
Webster also agrees, “The show is not as well known as ‘Joseph [and the Technicolor Dream Coat]’ or the ‘Sound of Music,’ but it is still a fantastic show and everyone should still buy tickets.”
“The best part of being a part of the show is working with all these talented people. It is a great environment, and it is a fun and positive thing to do. The dynamic between the cast members is a good environment. We all work well together and have lots of fun together,” Forthman said.
Adriana Guidi is an Entertainment Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.
