A longish appreciation of a Way Off-Broadway Production.
Wagon Trails Revue
Well, dear readers, last night I attended the annual show put on by the Mooresville High School Annual Staff...the book is called
Wagon Trails - since we are the Mooresville Pioneers. I say "we", because yes I graduated from this public school some years ago.
As in most schools - I assume - there are many vocal groups & choirs. Some are mixed, some are boys or girls only. The absolutely tippy top of vocal musical achievement at my alma mater is a group called The Spotlighters - the stage crew is of course called The Spot Removers.
On to the show. It began ON TIME with a slide show of the previous production particularly featuring those Seniors whose last show this would be. Karen Carpenter singing "We've Only Just Begun" was played under the presentation.
The show proper began with the introduction of the Yearbook staff who were called onstage from different parts of the auditorium on cell phones with the oft repeated phrase "can you hear me now?"
The first number - or the first I remember - were three girls dressed in Britney Spears short plaid skirts and tied white blouses, etc, singing 'Three Little Maids' from <
The Mikado. It was a cute idea, but because I couldn't understand what they were saying and the staging was so dreadful, I quickly lost interest.
Another comedy skit encouraged us to order our new
Wagon Trails.
Then some mixed groups sang, and I couldn't understand them...does NO ONE teach diction along with singing? I thought they were singing a song about Indiana and then checked the program to find out they were singing "In Vienna"! Then there was the Jazz Band which did a very nice version of "Sing Sing Sing" which I enjoyed very much.
Another comedy sketch. I guess they were determined that I would order
Wagon Trails. This sketch had a "survivor" theme. Would that I could, I was hoping.
Then came the Madrigals. They were wonderful. I could understand what they were singing, and the staging was very clever. They sang an "amen" song and then one called "Throw Another Log on the Fire, Uncle John."
More "comedy" involving walking furniture reading
Wagon Trails.
A jazz dance solo number that was VERY GOOD.
Then came two boys dressed in drag who were very funny - one looked like Edna Turnblad and the other dressed like Madonna. They were introducing an all girl group Finesse....or as the heavy set boy said....in an exagerrated lisp: Finessssssssssssssse. Very funny.
Well this group was great! They sang a song about angels and a couple of other rock songs with some really great choreography. They used the stage and all of the members got to be in front for a least part of the numbers. It was very good. They were dressed in butter yellow short dresses with full chiffon skirts and lots of bugle beads, small straps with a yellow silk fold over at the bustline. Really beautiful dresses and some good singing.
Then something else happened and it was intermission.
After that - a drum trio that rocked with the only imaginative lighting of the evening - black lights on white tee shirts, etc. A couple of solos - most of these sung nasally. One boy sang a lot of his song falsetto which was very irritating.
A duet - the "Elephant" duet from
Moulin Rouge that includes many songs. It was done well - but there was a lot of noise on other open mikes around the theatre. A bit of better staging would have saved the number, as it was, it entertained. I am not sure I believed the boy and girl singing it felt anything about each other.
Then came the orchestra to do two pieces: Danse Cardinale (?) and The Rosin Eating Zombie. Okay, interesting and they were all together. Would rather hear something I knew, but that's okay. They did a nice job tempo wise.
Next up more "comedy" Yearbook Eye for the Nerd Guy.
Then "Genesis", my nephews group. Freshmen boys and girls. Cute routine...they did some really nice dance steps and moved a LOT! Their second number was "Middle" about their lot in life and it was very funny. I could understand them, and there was always something to look at.
The the Nerd Guys came back all dressed up and introduced The Spotlighters.
This mixed group really does some nice work. They did three songs - middle number "A Little Less Conversation" was my favorite. They ended with a gospel number that was well staged, but not their strongest suit.
ANYWAY show over....
THREE HOURS AFTER IT STARTED!!I don't have my
Wagon Trails - I don't even think I have one from my High School Days.
Please if you are learning to sing - learn to enunciate! And at least once every ten years, attend a high school choir show!
It will be a great reminder or a sobering eye-opener!
