Heather Latter
Hallowe’en may be over but Fort High’s music department is not quite done with sorcery, spells, caldrons, and potions as it presents its annual fall music revue—this year entitled “Magic!”
The show hits the Townshend Theatre stage this Thursday through Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30).
Music teacher Lisa Loney said the idea to focus on magic as a theme came from fellow teacher Robroy Donaldson.
“He suggested it as a theme several years ago and then we never did it,” she noted, adding when it came time to choose a theme this year, she finally decided to take it on.
“To be honest with you, it was actually pretty difficult to find songs with magic themes that were appropriate,” Loney admitted.
“So it took a while.
“We looked for songs that had the word ‘magic’ or ‘spell’ in it,” she noted.
Loney added they even went so far as to take songs from stories, such as “Aladdin,” that portray magic.
“There might be a couple of songs where ‘magic’ is said once but we’re going with it,” she smiled.
And staying with the magic theme, there also will be some magic tricks mixed in between the songs.
“They just come up with their own actions,” she said of the students doing the tricks.
“They are not directed or anything.”
But Loney stressed it isn’t a magic show but, rather, a show featuring songs about magic.
“There is also a little bit of dialogue in between to help introduce the songs,” she noted.
“I always like to have a little bit of an anti-bullying theme in there somewhere.”
Loney also said the cast of 32, in addition to other students in the tech booth and the orchestra pit, are a great group of kids.
“Their musical ear is pretty strong this year so the harmonies you don’t even have to teach it to them, they just come up with them on their own,” she enthused.
“They are pretty independent.”
She stressed the soloists also are very strong this year.
“We have a couple mash-ups and some rapping in two songs, which is something we’ve never done,” Loney noted.
“So that’s kind of cool.
“We’ve also taken some tunes that are really popular on the radio and made them more acoustic,” she added.
“There’s a little bit of everything—there’s some country, CCR, and some super pop, like Katy Perry, and some old tunes like Santana’s ‘Black Magic Woman.’
“So I think there’s enough for everyone to listen to.”
Loney said the dancing also is spectacular, noting the dance numbers were choreographed by Grade 12 student Evan Caul.
“He’s been doing a lot of tech work for us in the past, and I asked him to do the choreography this year and he’s done a fabulous job,” she lauded.
“The kids have been working hard,” Loney added, noting they learned most of it pretty quickly although there’s a couple of tough things.
“We have a song called ‘Upside Down,’ and there’s some swing dancing in there and that was challenging, as well as the ‘Bollywood’ number, with the South Asian influence,” she explained.
“It’s not stuff they are used to doing,” Loney conceded, though adding there are lots of really good dancers in the production.
“There are a lot of kids who have taken dance or who are really adept at it,” she remarked.
“So I have to say I’m very pleased with the dancing.”
Loney added there are times when the show will focus on light magic versus dark magic.
“So they will be wearing white masks and black masks and witches’ hats,” she noted.
“Sometimes the idea of magic goes along with circuses so we have a juggler and a unicycler.
“So we have a few different oddities thrown in.”
Loney stressed it is a family-friendly show and encourages people of all ages to come out.
“It’s all coming together and should make for a really good show,” she said.
Tickets, which cost $10 for adults and $8 for students/seniors, are available at Northwoods Gallery & Gifts and at the door.
