INSIDE OUR SCHOOLS
Rehearsals (Photo – Jennifer Hall Lee)
A nocturnal breeze will flow from the French Antilles on Friday night at John Muir High School Early College Magnet. It’s the debut of the Broadway production of Once On The Island, an adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid.
By Jennifer Hall Lee
Although it opens May 13 at 7:00 pm the creativity that embodies this creative team is already working on me.
There are four of them: the John Muir choir teacher, Cassandra Franklin, is the director of the production, Muir music director Karen Klages is the show music director, Muir librarian, Micol Issa is the Art Director, and parent and PTA President, Courtney Scrabeck is the Costume Supervisor.
There is a heavy synergy between these professionals. How do I know? I’ve seen their work before at Eliot Arts Magnet Academy with productions such as Alice in Wonderland and Hairspray Jr.
It was Cassandra Franklin who chose Once On The Island because, “it is a relatively short musical with no intermission, it was done on Broadway with only 10 actors, and the story highlights a cast filled with people of color.”
Micol Issa is excited to be at John Muir and “contributing to the comeback of the drama and musical theatre programs.” She says that Once On This Island is “an intimate story about love and a tight knit community–just like our Muir family.”
A costume created by a student (Photo – Jennifer Lee)
The costumes and set designs are created by the students under the professional guidance of Micol Issa and Courtney Scrabeck.
“This is the first time a costume shop has existed at Muir; it was fun to watch our incredibly talented kids take to it so quickly” said Scrabeck.
She added “The costume shop has an open door policy, if you come by, you learn to sew. At lunch, the shop was full of kids asking to help.”
The inspiration for the designs? Artists Bisa Butler and Kehinde Wiley.
Franklin also knew that this production was going to be an “amazing task” considering.
At rehearsals: Emmeline Clougherty, Luseleste Tapia-Rodriguez, Cheili Lopez, Josephine Castro, Sam Estrada, Kimberlee Hoover, Corita Kahler-Rickman, with Karen Klages (Musical Director) (Photo – Jennifer Lee)
It’s been over ten years since John Muir has had a stage production, due to the construction of the new auditorium (Measure TT) and then the covid closure.
Franklin said, ” I have been working to build our performing arts community so that we could finally have a group of dedicated people to support such an enormous task as a musical.”
So, come on over to John Muir High for a breezy show high above the equator. The Muir students will grace us with music, drama, costumes, color and love of the Muir family.
Opening night Friday, May 13 7:00 pm Tickets $10 at the door
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