Upcoming Performance: Best of Broadway

The once-spacious choir room is packed with bodies, some sitting in chairs, most sitting on other people’s laps rather than the floor. One group stands around the baby grand piano as theatre teacher and director Brian Cappello and choir teacher, musical director and choreographer Ken Foley straighten out a few last minute details before the meeting begins. The clamor of voices creates an almost monotonous sound of white noise as students gush over their solos and duets. Foley lets out a steam-engine whistle and the choir room is silenced.
As Foley takes in the crowd–a diverse mixture of theatre kids, choir kids, freshmen, seniors and everyone in between he smiles at all the questioning faces, each here with one common goal: creating a musical showcase in less than one month.
Two years ago when East did the “50 Years of East” showcase, due to ongoing construction in the auditorium, the resounding praise and success of the show both surprised and pleased Foley and Cappello. With so many students and so few parts in this year’s musical “Beauty and the Beast”, Foley and Cappello were more than happy to add the two and a half hour show to this year’s lineup. The showcase will be performed Sept. 30, Oct. 1 and Oct. 2, less than one month after the first meeting. But unlike the “50 Years” showcase, this musical revue is almost completely run by the students. Less than ten organized rehearsals will take place during the month-long rehearsal period, meaning that students must schedule time with Foley, Cappello or their own groups on their own time. Even though this may seem like a daunting task to some, Foley and Cappello knew the benefits outweighed the risks.
“We’ve been told so often that we should do it every year,” Foley said. “The fact that we have so many talented kids and so few chances to highlight them really made us lean towards the revue. The show is all about the kids.”
Cappello and Foley chose the theme of the show, “Best of Broadway,” to give the revue a wide range of options. When it came time to choose songs, Cappello and Foley each selected 30 favorites and then combined and edited the list to create the 30 number set list they have now. The show features classics from musicals like Les Miserables to newer showstopping hits from Wicked and includes duets, solos and entire ensemble numbers.
With Cappello covering the theatrical aspects of the show and Foley covering the music, the two are hoping to have as successful a show as two years prior.
“I want the audience to get goosebumps,” student director Maggie Niven said.
Co-student director Olivia Mansfield and Niven attend every rehearsal and are available to help the cast at all times. Niven has made it her personal mission to get the cast to delve deeper into their characters as well as their song.
“If we can transport the audience to each show for only a few moments then we’ve done our job,” Niven said. “The cast kind of thinks of me and Cappello as the “bad cops” because we push them to do better, but we only do it because we know this show can be truly great.”
Niven and Mansfield are also in charge of helping students with costumes, organizing rehearsals and cast attendance, which includes the job of cutting students who miss two or more rehearsals.
“It’s give and take,” Niven said. “Students can miss a rehearsal and we are okay with that, but they need to be dedicated to this.”
Niven says very few people have been cut, but she has lost as many as nine cast members due to conflicts on show nights.
“A couple people have quit because of the Vampire Weekend concert or rehearsals for other shows,” Niven said.
While some students find the production to be less important than concerts, others are dedicated to making this three-performance show a success.
“There is so much talent in the show,” sophomore Madison May said.“We are all very excited because we know the show is going to be great.”
If all goes as planned, Foley and Cappello hope to make the musical revue an annual event.