You’re late, you’re late, for a very important date. Purchase tickets now, rather than wait. On March 15 through 18 the Cornwall Middle School Drama Club will be performing “Alice in Wonderland.” While it won’t be the Disney version, the musical will still follow the same story as written by Lewis Carroll.
“I liked the music better,” director Marietta Moulton said. “The Disney version has fewer songs. A lot of the Disney shows are more kid-based, so they’re only 30 minutes long. Obviously we do a full production because we try to raise the bar for the kids. We’re the bridge between elementary school shows and high school shows. We really want to give them more to do.”
The other positive aspect of the show is it caters to a large cast. This year 96 students are participating, including 10 four-star performers who have taken the stage every year since fifth grade. About 10 stage crew members from last year decided to step out from behind the curtain and take the stage. The Drama Club also received an influx of new fifth graders. Overall, about 75 percent of last year’s participants returned.
The cast is so large, Moulton said, many of the parts are double-cast, so each performer will take the stage twice. One of the challenges of having two people play the same part is balancing the rehearsal time, but Moulton said she’s cognizant of making sure each has equal time to recite lines. Sometimes kids are able to share costumes if they’re the same size, but this year the caterpillar is played by a tall eighth grader and a shorter sixth grader. While not a major challenge, it does require additional preparation.
On the other hand, having a predominantly veteran cast does make rehearsals a little easier.
“We pride ourselves on being a true five through eight club,” Moulton said. “When we first became the middle school, we were the first club to incorporate all four grades. Eighth graders are our leaders and we remind them of that. That’s a life lesson, as you get older you have more responsibility to lead the rest of the crew.”
Some of those same leadership qualities can be seen in this year’s crop of fifth graders.
Sign-ups for this year’s show began in October and auditions started after Thanksgiving. Rehearsals started shortly before the holiday break and the club has been going full force since school re-opened in January.
Some of the highlights of this year’s show include the various genres of music. Unlike other shows where the songs sound the same, “Alice in Wonderland” has one that sounds jazzy and another with a calypso beat. The audience is sure to be amazed by the costumes which really help the performers bring their characters to life.
“The cast is so strong, when they perform, it’s not like you’re watching middle schoolers,” Moulton said. You almost forget how old these kids are.”
In terms of the cast, Moulton made it a point to single out the two young ladies playing Alice – Karlee King and Bianca Calouri. She said they’re on stage for every number except “Painting the Roses Red.”
“They’ve been doing such an amazing job learning not only their own lines, but they have to learn their cues from other characters,” said Moulton.
Finn Kulic is another performer to look out for. Unfortunately the Queen of Hearts doesn’t appear until act two, but the four-star student has an amazing voice, said Moulton.
Another highlight, personal to Moulton, is the fact both her son and daughter are involved in this year’s production.
A dress rehearsal will be held March 15 at 5:30 p.m. The elementary school Drama Club members will be invited and members of the public are welcome to attend as well. Additional shows will be at 7 p.m. on March 16 and 17 with a 2 p.m. matinee on March 18. To purchase tickets, visit ccmsdrama.booktix.com.
The cast of the show:
Karlee King, Bianca Calouri, Jake Peck, Finn Kulic, Violet Blanco, Brooke Talkowski, Kayleigh Wolf, Emma Doyle, Julia Allen, Chynna Saffer, Ada McEwan, Ashley Talkowski, Sienna Stramiello, Avery Bellber, Lucy Greevy, Amaya Aleman, Fritz Guglielmucci, Ibrahim Sarr, Gracie Ryan, Justin Alexis, Maximilian Roig, Abigail Stephenson, Ava Liebert, Signy Johnson, Lucy Dietsch, Mia Siegel, Andrew Hurley, Abigail Murphy, Caitlin Sherry, Macie Stermer, Spencer Olsen, Imani Desgraviers, Sinead McGrail, Leyla Kaufman, Edith Best, Emma Hanlein, Ella Thompson, Emma Haenlein, Imani Desgraviers, Charlotte Ruffener, Anna Pigueras, Olivia Andrews, Brynn Suby, Ariana Cortes, Addison Allen, Schuyler Skonberg, Julia Allen, Addison Allen, Sarah Tagny, Sapphire Garrett, William Sanford, Milania Sciarra, Lucy Diestch, Signy Johnson, Chloe Duffy, Maria Tucker, Emma Doyle, Leah Kenney, Piper Clark, Christian Cibirka, Chynna Saffer, James Lahtinen, Connor Scully, Peter Dobuzinsky, Jovan Naranjo, Jackson Fogarty, Bennet Tolman, Joseph Kramer, Jorie Greene, Albert Websdell, Cecilia Cruz, Samantha Sestok, Julian Arriaga, Colin Lewis, Elijah Fingerman, Kaiel Johnson, Noah Padilla, Olivia Robertson, Jack Baxter, Emily Whitney, Anthony Martinisi, Delilah Morrell, Savannah Lahtinen, Samantha Cortez, Quinn MacEwan, Meredith Babcock, Lucy Scialpi, Mila Joblonski, Jack Baxter, Caitlin Sherry, Delilah Morrell, Charlotte Ryan, Brynn Suby, Drew Moulton, Anna Piqueras, Leah Ross, Raigen Scolaro, Isabelle Ferraro, Elizabeth Westbrook, Milania Sciarra, Emma Stewart, Sinead McGrail, Anna Espitia, Mattea Dawson, Sky Appleton, Justin Alexis, Emma Brischoux, Ella Thompson, Elora Oppelt, Levi Pollack, Madison Nieves, Chiarra Marasco, and Maizie Skonberg.
