SRHS students ready for 'magic' musical

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Four years ago, Sydney Butler and George Clancy were preparing for lead roles in their last year of middle school before the COVID-19 pandemic dropped the curtain on the production.

Now, the Sussex Regional High School drama club is ready to mount its first large-scale production, and Grade 12 students Butler and Clancy are among those taking the stage April 10 through 13 for Beauty and the Beast.

SRHS Drama hosted a musical revue last year of songs from past productions, but this is the first time it’s staging a new play since 2020, says co-director and SRHS teacher Spencer Folkins. And they’ve picked Beauty and the Beast, the 1994 Broadway musical adapted from the classic Disney animated film.

Co-director Noah Gibbons Salib called it a “show full of magic.”

“You’re going to see some objects come to life, fun costumes, an excellent set. We’ve all put hundreds of hours into this, you’re going to see some Disney magic, ” said Gibbons Salib, who was himself a SRHS graduate in 2020, now back as a substitute teacher.

Other directors include teachers Laurel Corbett and Brittany Tremblett, with Robert Matthews as music director. Mariah West is the choreographer, Jen Parlee is the vocal coach and Dave Belyea is on set design, Folkins said.

“We’re all very excited. It’s so nice to be back on stage and to be welcoming this new generation into the world of theatre that we all love,” said Folkins. “It’s very nice to be passing that on and seeing the energy and enthusiasm of all our students.”

Butler plays Belle and Clancy plays Lumiere in the play, with Jack Raymond as the Beast and Maddox Benson as LeFou.

“I’m very excited for the show, I’ve been waiting my whole high school time for a real production to happen,” said Butler.

She said she grew up watching theatre and “I always wanted to be up on that stage,” so she was “overjoyed” for the opportunity.

Clancy said he’s “super, super excited,” saying he sang in the revue last year, but didn’t get to act. He said there weren’t many performance art opportunities during the pandemic years.

“It was just so hard, because for singing, you couldn’t sing, because you had masks on,” he said. “There really wasn’t anything, and it was great that this year we could finally do something.”

He and Butler had been cast as the leads in Legally Blonde in Grade 8 before the promotion was cancelled, Butler said.

“I was scared that we would never get to a point in my high school career where we’d get to do a big production,” Butler said.

Raymond, also in Grade 12, said he was “quite a bit younger” when he performed in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Mary Poppins as an elementary student, but took a break in middle school and is “happy to be back.”

Benson, in Grade 9, said he’d been in a similarly comedic role in last year’s musical revue, and saw Gaston’s sidekick as the best role in the play.

“I love my role because he’s so energetic, and he has so much character to him,” he said.

Benson himself is “very much a character, he is loud, he is outgoing … he is very much like LeFou,” Butler said, with Folkins adding he’s “very animated.”

The production counts as an extracurricular club, Folkins said, with Butler and Clancy being part of the school’s regular theatre arts class.

Folkins said Raymond’s Beast is a “sympathetic” portrayal, and Gibbons Salib said the chemistry between him and Butler “shows that this is a story of true love and second chances, and they really portray that well.”

Butler said she’d always wanted to play Belle, and she’s “very excited to portray this character,” saying that with her spirited personality, scenes where she had to stand up to the Beast came easily to her.

“We all drive for what we’re trying to find in life, we want to find our purpose,” Gibbons Salib said. “I think Belle is all about finding adventure and leaving her small town. We can’t help but root for Belle.”

Folkins said the musical was first announced in October and after the winter break they began practices in earnest. Clancy said Matthews did an “amazing job” running practices after hours and during breaks to help the singers harmonize.

“This week, we’re … putting the final touches on and making sure it’s show ready,” he said.

He said they’ve had community support including sponsorships as well as help from “a number of people,” including parents helping rehearsals and providing dinners.

“We’re very lucky to have a lot of community support,” he said. “There’s a lot of backstage work that goes into putting on a show-stopping production. That’ll be obvious, I think, come show night.”

The show runs at the SRHS theatre April 10-13 at 7 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee Saturday. Tickets are available at the high school office or at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/81628.