Tag: Play

Newsies: The Musical

Recently, I went to see another musical- Newsies! This musical was originally a Disney movie, which was then adapted into the musical that it is today.

I absolutely loved the songs in this musical, especially the solos. All the actor’s voices were so beautiful and were perfect in conveying the story. I also really liked the set and how they were able to move only a few pieces/add in a few pieces around to convey completely different areas.

Newsies is about a group of newsboys who’s goal is to leave New York and find a new, more peaceful life for themselves. However, when the cost of buying newspapers to sell is raised, the Newsies decide to go on strike. As they gain support from other Newsies around town, Pulitzer, who runs the press, becomes enraged, banning the newspapers in town from publishing any news about the strike.

One of the things Newsies (the musical) is most well known for is its choreography and this didn’t disappoint! All the characters had such fun choreography that was a treat to watch and I really enjoyed it!

I loved this story as well as all of the characters! They all had so much spirit and such amazing personalities. I hope to watch the movie sometime as well and see how they compare!

Being in Theater

I know I recently published a blog about my experiences in theater and a recent musical I went to, but I wanted to elaborate more on a specific year of theater.

This year, I was chosen for UIL theater, a class with 20 students who each have a special passion for theater. For some of us, it’s the acting, while for others it’s directing or backstage work. It’s a tightknit class and on the 3rd and 5th, we got to perform the play we spent 2 months working on. It wasn’t perfect, but we were ok with that! We still had a lot of fun and learned valuable lessons from it. Our theater teacher has promised that for our next play, in the spring, we’ll get even more time to work on it, meaning we’ll have an even better play.

Here’s a short poem I wrote about my UIL theater experiences so far.

Circle up, circle up
A routine we know so well
Set the set, markings clear
Circle up once again

Places, places
We know exactly what to do
Get ready to head on stage
And make sure you just be you

Lines, lines
Etched into the brain so deep
No doubt about what comes next
We could do this in our sleep

Curtain, curtain
The play is now done
Strike the set, put it away
Could we have won?

Waiting, waiting
Holding hands, scared
Hold our breath as they call out names
Four people from our school won medals, they declared

Laughing, laughing
Packing up our stuff
We might not have won, but we had fun
And that is always enough.

Theater!

I really enjoy theater! It’s a relatively new interest, one that I got into in 6th grade. When I was making the course selections for my first year at middle school, I picked theater as it seemed interesting. Unfortunately, I was fully virtual that year, meaning I didn’t get the full experience of theater. Next year through, for 7th grade, I picked theater once more and was actually able to witness it in person. I really enjoyed that year and it made me really fall in love with theater. Some of my favorite experiences that year were learning about improv and writing our own play. In groups, we had to write our own 3 scene murder mystery. I worked with some of my closest friends to come up with our play and performing it was incredibly rewarding.
This year, 8th grade, I’m currently in UIL theater, where we have a competition coming up in November and a performance in the spring. I am currently working on both production and acting. In production, I am in the set and lighting crew, where we design all the sets and the lighting needed for them. I’m also part of the chorus of the play and play as a minor, but important character. I’m also taking a part of theater classes at a theater. These classes are also lead by a musical theater school. I hope to continue learning about theater and hopefully take it during high school!

I also got to see Hadestown recently! It was such an amazing experience, especially for someone like me who loves Greek Mythology.
The story of Hadestown is based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, who were two lovers. When one day Eurydice died, Orpheus was overcome with grief and set out to the Underworld to find her and bring her back. There, he made a deal with Hades. He could walk out of the Underworld with Eurydice following him, but if he turned to look back for even a second, she would be gone. He couldn’t see or hear her, but he had to trust her, himself, and Hades. Orpheus made it out most of the way, but at the last second, right when daylight broke through the Underworld, he turned to look. And the last thing he saw was her slipping away.
This musical took that story and reimagined it in a brilliant and fun way. I loved the portrayal of the characters, especially Persephone, goddess of spring and the Underworld, and the Fates, three women who controlled your life. The costuming choices were brilliant, as were the lighting choices. The thing that dazzled me the most though, was the set. The set was intricately made, with two main levels, a spiraling staircase leading up to the top one. Some of the orchestra sat on the stage itself, giving it a very close and cozy feeling. The props used were magnificent and overall, it was a great show that I really enjoyed!

Have you seen any musicals or plays? What are some of your favorite?

Mint Girl Sees The Diary Of Anne Frank Play

On February 16, 2020, I went to see the Diary Of Anne Frank play. It was a haunting story about two families forced to go into hiding as not to be killed and about the people who risked their lives to save them. We watched this play at Match Theater and it was presented by Main Street Theater.

As most people know, Anne was a real person and her diary is our connection to her. We now know about her life and her feelings. We know how she coped in rough times and how she felt in the good times. The Diary Of Anne Frank is a sad play about love, hope, and finding the beauty in things you think can’t be beautiful anymore.

It was very different from reading the book as the whole diary came alive. The characters came alive when they stepped on stage. They reacted as though they were really Anne and her friends and family .

I was impressed by the quality of the play. The actors knew their lines and reacted just as I thought the real families would. This play helps us see Anne’s life and how she felt. This play was very useful as I am a visual person and it helps me to understand the book.