Cast, Crew, Parents Preparing for NHS Fall Musical, ‘Chicago’

As a parent of a Noblesville High School junior who is involved in NHS Singers show choir and theater, I’ve learned that it takes a lot of people to make a show happen.

Getting ready for a high school musical takes months, weeks, days and hours of rehearsals, with cast members learning lines, music, blocking and choreography, and crew members building and decorating sets, finding props and creating costumes, and designing lights and sound.

Getting ready for a musical also takes the help of many parent volunteers, putting together show programs, providing meals during tech week, soliciting sponsors, decorating the lobby, working concessions, and tickets and silent auction tables, and cleaning up afterward. There is also all of the publicity to promote the show, via social media and print and online media, and old-school posters and word of mouth.

As of today, we are only two weeks away from opening night of NHS’s fall musical, “Chicago, The Musical.” Tickets are on sale now for the three performances, at 7 p.m. Nov. 17, 18 and 19 on the NHS Auditorium stage. 

On Tuesday, the day after Halloween, Noblesville Schools had an eLearning day, or teacher professional development day, for the district. However, our household got up early and went to school, because my daughter, who was cast in the fall musical, had to be dressed in her costume and hair and makeup and arrive by 9:15 a.m. for a sneak peek snippet performance on the auditorium stage for the Noblesville teachers. 

I’m told the sneak peek performance went well. In fact, the rehearsals are going quite well for the show, which is expected to sell out, I’m told.

Well, the show should sell out, especially when the community does its duty to support all of these wonderfully talented students involved.

There are 90 student cast and crew members, including 53 student cast members and 37 student crew members, plus 13 adults on artistic staff. Plus add in another 25 members of a pit orchestra, who learn all of the music for the show and perform it every night in the pit.

Today, I share with you the names of our Noblesville music and theater students and the artistic adult directors who are determined to make this show a success. So here goes:

MEET THE CAST:

Velma Kelly, Gabbie Manns; Roxie Hart, Sean Wood; Billy Flynn, Mason Kebrdle; Amos Hart, Colin McCabe; Matron ”Mama” Morton, Cass Henson; Master of Ceremonies, Roux Carney; Mary Sunshine, Sarah Rolinson; Sergeant Fogarty /Martin Harrison, Nick Adams; Aaron / The Judge / Mikhail / Dance Captain, Maddux Morrison; Fred Casely / Charlie, Nick Sizelove; Go-To-Hell Kitty, Kat Logue; Harry, Gray Black; Court Clerk / Bernie, Ray Kenley; Juror, Mason James; Liz, Lauryn Kinzie; Annie, Charlotte Wiggins; Ezekiel, Nolan Campbell; June / Dance Captain, Savannah McClure; Wilbur, Nathan Dorris; Hunyak, Kate Boice; Mona, Mia Feigel; Alvin Lipschitz, Josiah Smith.

Ensemble: Addie McMillan, Alaina Wadsworth, Amelia Wiggins, Angela Reyes, Anni Abrahamyan, Annalycia Melendez, Blake Valentine, Brenner Zebrauskas, Cai Cook, Carmen Cremer, Corinne Mitchell, Ehren Knerr, Ellie Seago, Else Miller, Evelyn Summers, Hailey Kirkpatrick, Hannah Ropte, Hope Siktberg, Ivory Jones, John Bush, Katy Luna, Kenzie Wood, Lilah Cross, Maci Clumb, Maddie McIntyre, Marissa Wagner, Miranda Ricardo, Olivia Snyder, Paige Moorman, Parker Wood, Prue Mahurin

*Featuring the NHS Miller Girls Dance Team under the direction of Bailey Mann.

MEET THE CREW:

Assistant Student Director / Production Stage Manager, Trevor Greenlee; Deck Manager, Rylee Odle; Assistant Stage Manager, Emerson Phillips; Assistant Deck Manager, Maitri Patel; Student Producer, J Herold; Light Board Operators, Laiken Charpie and Emerson Phillips; Fly Rail Operator, Max Midkiff; Follow Spot Operators, J Herold and River Arnold; Props Master, Kota Davis; Stage Hands, Cascien Bender, Abby Bozell, Aaron Costa, Stevie Miles; Student Costume Manager, Rue Tierney; Costume Crew, Anna Ackerman, Emma Brown, Jillian Gale, Amy Lynn, Bowen Mann, Alivia Stewart, Sierra Stocks; Student Hair/Makeup Manager, Bo Bastin; Hair/Makeup Crew, Max Brown, Mack Peterson, Aleigha Keller, Ebbe Beer, Madison Bechman, Iliana Schouppe; Prompter Head, Emma Cseke; and Prompters, Ava Burrell, Dakota Ewan, Braedon Lechien, Vincent Lomellin, Abbie Martz, Andrew Rivera, Devin Ruse and Lucy Stambaugh

MEET THE PIT ORCHESTRA:

Director: David Hartman
Banjo: Jaiden Casey
Drums/Percussion: Robbie Butler and Ella Feliciano
Piano: Carrie Cain, Tyler Cowan, Amy Schoonover
Reed 1: alto saxophone and clarinet, Jacob Hunt and Jacob Ropte; flute, Elysia Uggen
Reed 2: tenor sax and clarinet, Tessa Bragg; flute, Lia Benitez
Reed 3: bari saxophone and bass clarinet, Tyler Gauthier
Trombone: Keegan O’Conner and Jackson Durst
Trumpet: Daniel Carrington and Ben Whitacre
Tuba/Bass: Matthew Crosby, Clark Larson, Anthony Orta
Violin: Ashlyn Barber, Mason Cannady, Ethan Feliciano, Marielle Fitch, Peyton Kauzlick, Chloe Snyder

MEET THE ADULT ARTISTIC STAFF:

Director: Shantel Morris
Music Director: John Neubauer
Choreographers: Julianne Fowler and Shantel Morris
Assistant Choreographers: Stephenie Knoll, Bailey Mann and Jeanne Wade
Technical Director: Greg Richards
Assistant Tech Director: Susan Nieten
Costume Designer: Kerin Meyer
Orchestra Director: David Hartman
Sound & Effects: Jason Jasper 
Student Director: Trevor Greenlee
Assistant Music Director: Julianne Fowler

Contact Betsy Reason at betsy@thetimes24-7.com. By the way, this week’s eLearning Day, or teacher professional development day, at Noblesville Schools, was planned for the day after Halloween instead of on the usual Wednesday based on parents requesting this over the years, according to district spokesperson Marnie Cooke. The initial response seen from parents has been positive.