Staley and Adelie just finished performing in their EMS Drama Club production of School House Rock Live, Jr. in early February. Although I was not really familiar with the show or most of the songs before seeing it, it ended up being a very cute show.
The cast of School House Rock Live, Jr.
The show was cast differently than shows in the past. This was more of an ensemble show where there were not really specific character roles. Instead, each song had a featured singer and the dialogue between the songs was split up between different individuals. Staley's song was "Just a Bill", she was a featured dancer/back-up singer in "Conjunction Junction," and she had a handful of different lines in songs or between songs.
There was one main character role in the show. The teacher is the main character who does not sing or dance, so they originally cast a girl who did not want to do either. However, this girl did not learn her lines, did not show up consistently for rehearsals, and then did not attend the mandatory tech rehearsals the week of the show. So on Monday of show week (with shows opening on Thursday), they asked Staley to learn the lines/role of the teacher and step in. So she did!
In one night, Staley learned all the teacher's lines. So she played the role of the teacher as well as most of her original songs/lines/roles throughout the rest of the show. There were a lot of lines to learn, but Staley managed to do it in one night and flawlessly stepped right in. It was pretty incredible.
Staley even had to change the words to her solo song. The song Staley had been practicing for months was a first person "I'm Just a Bill" song. With the change to her teacher role, she wouldn't have had time to change into her bill costume, so she had to change all the words to a second person perspective and sing "You're Just a Bill." I'm not sure how she remembered that in the midst of all her other changes, but she did.
Kelleen, the director, said that Staley really saved the show...and made it better than it would have been.
Adelie had a number of featured roles in songs, as well as a solo. She was the engineer and a friend in "A Noun is a Person, Place, or Thing". She was 27 in "Three is a Magic Number".
She was Uranus in "Interplanet Janet."
Her featured solo was in "The Great American Melting Pot." She was fabulous!
Both girls are just so confident and expressive on stage. I love watching them!!
A number of Adelie's close friends were in the show with her, and they loved that some of their teachers came to see them.
On the other hand, Staley was just one of three 7th and 8th graders in the show. This initially made her hesitant, but she got to know some of the younger kids, was a great mentor/example to them, and her director was counting on her for her leadership and experience...and she delivered.
Grammie and Grandpa were there to support the girls. Grammie enjoyed the show so much she even came again the next night.
And, of course, Uma and Papa were there too.
The girls enjoyed that some of their NTA friends came to help run tech backstage. Staying after the last night of the show to strike the set is always a fun way to end a show.
It ended up being a great show. Both the girls were fantastic in their parts, both their original parts and the ones that they stepped into at the last minute.
Hooray for my little thespians. And hooray for another successful EMS Drama Club production.
