Once again, the Walkersville Theatre Department is working on another spectacular performance, with an amazing cast to go along with it! This spring WHS brings you Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a story with colorful garments, deceiving family, and mesmerizing dances. This musical was first performed in 1968, and is an adaptation written by Andrew Lloyd Webber of a story from the Christian Bible. However, don’t be fooled, Donny Osmond and his fellow cast members brought a new light and energy to this older story. 

WHS is also bringing their own flare to this classic tale. However- being one of the only all-musical shows done in years- this performance is a first for most everyone.  Theatre Director, Louise Van-Gilder Martin, has helped to orchestrate this busy and festive show; however, there have been many difficulties with getting this show started. Many rehearsals were missed because of snow days, and it’s never an easy feat to prepare and direct dances, singing, and costumes. But even with snow delays and cancelled rehearsals, the amazing cast is pulling through. With rehearsals four out of five after-school days a week and many FLEX days, although necessary- it’s a lot to handle. 

One of the Narrators, Guadalupe Peralta-Orellano says that although she’s played other roles such as Rona Lisa Peretti in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Sheila Wonderly from Murder At Cafe Noir, being a narrator has been one of her dream roles for a while. “I saw Joseph [And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat] when I was young, and Narrator has been my dream role, which makes it more sentimental for me playing her in my senior year,” says Peralta Orellano. It’s also not an easy task to balance schoolwork and the musical- Peralta Orellano adds that she’s taking AP and FCC classes on top of all the play preparation. Celia Alspaugh will be playing another Narrator in the musical, and she has her own method for preparing. “When I have time I review my music and work on the theatre department’s marketing,” says Alspaugh. “I find that playing the songs over and over helps me memorize faster, and allows me to be prepared for rehearsals.” 

Although the director and actors have a huge part in making this show come to life- they’re not the only ones. This year, Mrs. Humphries, a math teacher with a background in dance, has helped to choreograph the entire musical. She says that while it’s not her first show, it is the first all-singing one she’s ever done. She’s also gotten some help from Bella Altman, a freshman at WHS, who is Dance Captain of the show. “It can be difficult when people get mixed up on their lefts and rights even when it’s simple choreography,” says Altman. “[Even though I know them,] it isn’t harder with people I know because I’m not afraid to correct them if what they are doing isn’t right”.

It’s also not all adults working to bring this musical to life. The majority of the tech and crew is led by students here at WHS, directing much of everything, from props and costumes to mics and lights. Kaeley Shankle is a freshman  at WHS, so this is her first year working for the lights crew. “This is my first time experiencing a musical as someone behind the scenes in tech, but so far this experience has been exciting as I’m still learning,” says Shankle. WHS is also getting help from outside the school. Parent and family volunteers have helped to make the dazzling costumes along with the student costume crew, giving the actors the looks of a lifetime.

But without a set where would we be? With the help of Mr. Meech, Mrs. Hall, and many other students taking part in tech, they’ve worked to build the complex stage of the set. With five sets of stairs and 6-foot tall platforms, this build is no small feat- a whole lot of bolts and boards were used to make the set. On March 15th, tech held a production day where they put it all together- a full work day, from 8 AM to 8 PM. However, even that wasn’t enough, but after many set days, they got it all together.

There are so many elements that go into making a musical- each one of them crucial to the success of the play. But in the end- the hard work pays off and it’s truly a sight to see. Come see our incredible cast perform on April 3rd and 4th at 7 PM, and on April 5th at 2 PM and 7 PM this spring 2025!