ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠWhat an amazing show our Upper School production of Aladdin is! The fabulous acting, singing, and dancing meld with glittering costumes, exotic scenery, and magical staging to create a classic Country School smash. If you didn't get to see the show last weekend, I hope you have purchased tickets for this weekend's final performances, since in addition to supporting our amazing cast and crew, you will be treated to a refreshingly entertaining and age-appropriate show. Sell out crowds attest to the success of what our kids have achieved.
ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠPart of what is so wonderful about our musical is the way it teaches lessons about cooperation, The Country School value for March. In order for a show to be as successful as this one, a remarkable number of people have to come together around a common goal. Over sixty students have stage parts, another twenty or so are involved in behind-the-scenes work like with stage, lighting, sound, and flight crews. Scores of parents have joined director Rick Osborne, assistant director Barbara Rybacki, and choreographer Carrie Lama to donate innumerable hours to everything from costume creation to feeding the cast. One aspect of the play that I find most gratifying is the number of past parents who return to the school to contribute their special talents to the show, even though some of their children have graduated more than 15 years ago! That kind of commitment helps make one of The Country School's hallmark experiences possible and all that it is.
ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠAs a result of the show, our students learn important lessons about cooperation, commitment, responsibility, giving one's best, stretching one's limits, performing in front of a crowd, and supporting one's peers. Lifelong memories and friendships are forged and furthered. A number of our students develop a lifelong interest in theatre. Thus it's hard to know how wide and how long the influence of our Upper School musical extends. I know, though, that it far exceeds the weeks following each year's performance during which I incessantly but joyfully carry that show's tunes in my head!