playbill vip

  DIRECTOR'S NOTE

      Choosing the musical for the upcoming school year is always a daunting task.  I want to try to decide on material that will utilize the tremendous student talent that I'm blessed with in this Theatre Department.  The reality of the situation is that I have many more females to work with than males.

      During the summer, one of my seniors, Emily Mitchell, suggested I listen to the soundtrack to "Bring It On: The Musical".  I didn't really know the musical and as I was listening, I heard something somewhat familiar.  My students infected me with the "Hamilton" bug long ago and I was hearing the same delicious mix of hip hop, pop music and traditional musical theatre.  Therefore, it was no surprise to discover that it was one of the first musicals written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. This coupled with a musical that involves high school aged students in a predominately female sport made "Bring It On: The Musical" the obvious choice.

     When I worked with my long time and dearly departed musical theatre collaborator, William Garon, the focus of our choices were musicals that were more aimed at children and their families in order to cultivate a musical theatre audience for the future.  After his untimely passing, I wanted to try to find my own vision in what type of musicals would be done by J.W. Mitchell High School's Mustang Theatre.  So, last year, I began with a musical that literally described my new approach, "Anything Goes!"

     This year, I'm excited to do a musical that reflects what my students are going through in this modern time.  They have been given challenging music, choreograpy, and cheer routines to try to execute.  The excitement displayed by my student cast during rehearsal has been infectious.  It is our sincere hope that communicates to our audience in the performance.  I have a huge dept of gratitude to my amazing support staff that is identified above.  We humbly offer this early work by a new, important voice in American Musical Theatre to you in the hope you it will mean as much to you as it has to us.