LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Spring Musicals Heat Up at Local High Schools


"Sugar" Photo Gint Federas See all photos at: http://photos.acalanesboosters.com/Theater/2013-03-07-Sugar/28333833_KTN9XL#!i=2398489646&k=wbdNbk9

'Tis the season for musical theater! And Lamorinda's high schools don't disappoint with stellar productions of "Sugar," "Legally Blonde," and "Little Shop of Horrors."

Miramonte opened "Little Shop of Horrors" last Thursday. Its run continues this weekend, with performances at 7 p.m. Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16. The zany musical deals with issues of greed and corruption and features four different plant puppets of increasing size.

Spoiler alert: the fourth puppet eats people (parental discretion advised). "My kids, age 3 and 5, love the show," says Heather Cousins, the show's director. "But they understand that it's theater; it's pretend." Cousins teaches drama and English at Miramonte in addition to directing its spring musical.

Miramonte's production of "Little Shop of Horrors" is unique because it is extremely ensemble based. Students play multiple characters as well as multiple roles behind the scenes. The production is entirely student run, from lighting to sound to backstage. The cast includes 20 actors, seven band members, and 15 tech people. Vocal director Megan Purdue and conductor Ari Gorman, both Miramonte teachers by day, complete the creative team.

Campolindo High School opens "Legally Blonde" on Friday, March 15 and runs through March 23, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. March 17. Campolindo's production, directed by David Pinkham, is the Bay Area high school premiere of "Legally Blonde." Although Pinkham refers to the show as "candy floss," he says it was the school's most challenging production to date.

"Legally Blonde" falls within the genre of the Broadway musical, which is not easily adaptable to the high school stage. Unlike classics such as "Grease!" or "Les Miserables," the new Broadway musical features contemporary pop music and moves at an accelerated pace. "Legally Blonde" is a rock opera, which means the singing and dancing never stop. There are no blackouts, so the performers don't get a chance to catch their breath.

Of course, the same qualities that make it so challenging also make it particularly appealing to a high school demographic of thespians and theatre-goers. The cast is enormous: over 75 performers (some of whom double as crew), plus a 20 person orchestra and six crewmembers. Pinkham values freshmen involvement, since being in the chorus gives them the necessary training to take on lead roles as upperclassmen. "Legally Blonde" is the 10th show Pinkham has directed at Campolindo. Mark Roberts is the show's producer and music director.

Although Acalanes High School closed its production of "Sugar" last weekend, it is still worth mentioning. "Sugar," directed by Bruce Lengacher, is a musical theatre adaptation of the film "Some Like it Hot." Unlike Miramonte and Campolindo's spring musicals, which are extracurricular, "Sugar" was a collaboration exclusively among students in the performing arts department. Students enrolled in Ed Meehan's stage craft class built the sets for the show and served as technical crew. Students in the concert choir are required to participate in the musical; meanwhile the orchestra pit, conducted by Norm Dea, was comprised of 25 volunteer musicians from the school's three instrumental groups (string orchestra, the symphonic band, and the wind ensemble). The show was student produced and had two student assistant directors, one of whom doubled as dance captain. Over 1,000 people turned up for the performances.

"Legally Blonde" tickets can be obtained on the Campochoir website at www.campochoir.com - click on "Spring Musical" for ticket ordering instructions. Tickets for Miramonte performances of "Little Shop of Horrors" are available at the door or on the school's website at miramonte.revtrak.net/tek9.asp. Closing night tends to sell out, so plan ahead!