West Arts Presents: Seussical the Musical

Gwyndalynn Kent

West Arts Productions is known for putting on the most incredible and fun Musicals there are, such as there previous one Peter Pan Jr. as well as Grease. Rehearsals for there next show, Seussical the Musical start on February 26th and are every Tuesday and Thursday.

Seussical has plenty of well-known characters just like the Famous Cat in the Hat. Dr. Seuss is an incredible author that everyone knows of and it’s no surprise that one of his writings has become a musical.

Details on Seussical include:

• It was written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephan Flaherty
• Its main storyline is from Horton Hears a Who but it has other works by Dr. Seuss incorporated into it.
• Seussical made its Broadway debut in 2000
• It has been nominated for many awards but never really won

The lead roles are:

• Cat in the Hat: He is a very joyful and fun character who kind of tells the story
• Horton: A believing elephant who just wants to have people believe in him
• Gertrude Mcfuzz: A shy bird who finds her way into Horton’s life and wants to stay there
• Jojo: A curious little boy who befriends an incredible cat
• Mayzie: a sassy little bird who decides to get herself an egg and doesn’t want to keep it
• Sour Kangaroo: A kangaroo who has got sass for days and makes fun of Horton

Take A Flight With Peter Pan

Avalyn Walton

Let’s venture to the second star to the right, and straight on ‘til morning! This week, come immerse yourself into the world of lost boys, pirates, fairies, the Darling family, and Peter Pan.

The story of Peter Pan is that of a boy who flies into the Darling nursery one night and takes the children far away to Neverland on the adventure of a lifetime. West Arts Productions is on a mission to make this story come to life.

The shows will be this Thursday, January 31st, Friday, February 1st, Thursday, February 7th, and Friday, February 8th. All shows will begin at 7 pm, with a quick West Arts Performance Ensemble performance before the show.

Admission will be $10 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. Seating is assigned so you may want to get their early, or order your ticket online. To do this, or just to find more information, visit Westartsproductions.com.

The show will be located here, at Stacey Middle School. To see the show, go to the Multi-Purpose Room and receive your ticket in the foyer.

Overall, this show is not one you’ll want to miss. For a fun adventure into Neverland, see Peter Pan Jr.

Live Music and Child Waiters; Cabaret Night

Avalyn Walton

When Perry Como sang, “There’s no place like home for the holidays,” he was certainly not alone in his opinion. Being home and with your loved ones is the perfect way to celebrate, and so it’s only fitting that this year West Arts “Cabaret Night” follows that theme. “I’ll be Home for the Holidays” will be a Cabaret Night to remember.

The majority of students at Stacey have probably never been to one of West Art’s Cabaret Nights, but the breakdown is simple. Guests at Cabaret Night will find that Stacey Middle School multi-purpose room has been transformed into a winter wonderland, with tables and waiters everywhere, waiting for a chance to serve. A number of singers perform, most of which are West Art’s students, accompanied by a live band. An MC introduces all the acts and keeps the audience entertained, while desserts and drinks are brought to everyone’s table. Booths for popcorn, nachos, and raffle baskets are in the back of the room, out of the way of the main tables. For only ten dollars, it’s one amazing steal of a night.

As previously mentioned, there are tons of waiters and waitresses, anxiously awaiting a request from the diners. These waiters though, are none other than the West Arts kids themselves. All of them are 5th grade and up. Imagine coming to see a friend perform, only to have them be your server for the night. The hilarious and adorable twist is a fun one for friends and family.

Cabaret Night though is obviously not just about dining, it’s about watching a live performance. These performers, though they are mostly West Arts kids and staff, can be anyone. Anyone at all is allowed to come in an audition on November thirteenth. Whoever makes the cut will need to attend two more rehearsals before performing, but for the most part, it’s a very simple task. West Arts Productions is always hoping for some new and friendly faces at their auditions, so there is no need to be shy.

Peter Pan Cast List

Ashley Wolf

Ready to be taken to the wonderful world of Neverland? Students can have sword fights with pirates, fly with fairies, swim with mermaids, and never grow up? All students need is faith, trust, and pixie dust . . . and a ticket.

West Arts Productions is starting their fall show. If you haven’t already guessed, they will be doing Peter Pan.  The shows will be performed on January 31st, February 1st, 7th, and 8th of 2019. Tickets are ten dollars for adults and eight dollars for seniors and students.

Auditions were held on October 2nd and the cast list was released on the West Arts Production website on October 5th. The following list shows all of the wonderful students portraying the iconic characters from Peter Pan.

Stacey is Alive with the “Sound of Music”

Ashley Wolf

West Arts Productions is starting their new production “ The Sound of Music”. The cast list was recently released. Everyone on the cast and ensemble is really talented. Here is the cast:

• Maria —Avi Walton and Kira Temple
• Mother Abbess–  Trinity Kuzio
• Sister Berthe —Sarah Davis
• Sister Margaretta —Lexi Verino
• Sister Sophia —Thao Tran and Noelani Lynch
• Franz —Brandon Reyes and Clark Patcheak
• Frau —Sam Rose and Jaclyn Moen
• Liesel —Alison Davis and Sophie Kresge
• Friedrich —Jack Adling and Sadie Cardenas
• Louisa —Alexa Miller-Hartenberg and Isabel Lesser
• Kurt —Logan Watson and Jacob Lesser
• Brigitta —Cicily Thompson and Liliana Morales
• Marta —Adrianna Taylor-Costa and Zoe Lord
• Gretl —Ellie Kresge and Adelaide Katz
• Rolf —Nate Powell
• Elsa Schraeder —not been cast yet
• Max Detweiler —not been cast yet
• Herr Zeller —Johnny Yabarra
• New Postulant —Noelani Lynch and Thao Tran
• Admiral Von Schreiber —Dominick Ybarra

What Even Is West Arts?

Mariah Escatel and Averi Farren

Some may call it “Stacey Theater Club,” while others prefer “Drama Club.” But, what really is West Arts?

What even is West Arts?

West Arts is a non-profit arts program. They produce high-quality student productions. West Arts trains participants in singing, acting, and dancing, while at the same time bringing family and community together. Their goal is to “Keep the arts alive!”

West Arts runs the musicals, dramatic plays, mainstage shows, and also have a performance ensemble dance/choir group here at Stacey. Each year, they have a winter musical, a dramatic play, a spring musical, and a summer musical. In between all of those shows, West Arts produces a mainstage show allowing performance ensemble participants from sixth grade through college.

James and the Giant Peach

Mariah Escatel

Get Ready! West Arts Productions is launching into practice for their next show, “James and the Giant Peach.” This production is open to anyone within the Westminster School District, from kindergarten to eighth-grade.

Other than the Summer Musical Camp, “James and the Giant Peach” is the last show for eighth-graders to participate.

“James and the Giant Peach” is about an orphan boy named James, whose parents died from horrible rhino attack. He is then claimed by his evil aunts who use him as a servant rather than care for him. When receiving magical ”crocodile tongues” from a shady magic man, he spills them on his aunt’s’ old withered peach tree. Suddenly a giant peach begins to grow! His aunts use the peach to get money by making it a worldwide tourist attraction. James accidentally finds a way into a giant peach where he meets Spider, Silkworm, ladybug, grasshopper, earthworm, and glowworm. The bugs are human sized and journey with James to New York City.

Come and join the fun on February 28th. Practice time is from 3:15 until 4:30. Audition prep (prep for anyone who wants to try out for a lead role) is from 4:30 till 6:00.

 

Are You Ready to Have a Blast?

Tyler Serrano

To celebrate their 10 year anniversary, West Arts Productions is putting on the musical, Blast 2.0!

Blast 2.0 is a combination of all the amazing productions our program produced in the past years. Even the people who haven’t been in it for years can do this musical mash-up!

Upcoming Drama Productions!- “Once on This Island Jr.”

Erin Brown

West Art’s Productions will be performing the musical, “Once on This Island Jr.” for their 10th year anniversary.