Trevor Andrews, Reporter
Jessie Labrie, a musical teacher said, “For my end I work mainly on the music and preparing students to sing in small groups, duets, trios, and solo work.”
He said that students have about five or six weeks to memorize the music.
Labrie said that there’s somebody in charge of every part of the musical, including acting, props, production elements, makeup, and costumes.
He said that while singing is a big part of the musical, dancing also plays a huge role in it, and some play in the dance corps specifically for dancing.
“This year we are doing Big Fish, a story about someone named Will, and his dad named Edward who loves tall tales, but was suffering from cancer,” he said.
Labrie said that while the main character was Will, it was about examining Edward through the eyes of Will.
He said that he believed the message of the musical is that we can’t judge people by how they look.
“People are much more complex than we think,” he added.
Labrie said that the story takes place in Alabama which helps give off a Southern feeling for the musical.
“I hope the audience can see themselves in the characters, and the complexity of being a human,” Labrie said. “Life is built on relationships and often the problems we have in our life and how we view life tend to come from our own perceptions of those relationships.”
He added that individuals are neither good nor bad, but a lot of times they can be misunderstood.
“I lost my father, so I have been able to relate a lot to Will,” Labrie said.
Labrie said that the musical will play on March 31st.
Simon Javorsky, a senior who is playing the role of Edward in the musical said, “It was a leap of faith for me to audition.”
He said that as a lead he usually has practices almost everyday after school.
“Edward is the epitome of loving life, he loves to tell stories, he is very outgoing, and he loves to live his life through his own lens,” Javorsky said. “That is one of the big conflicts between Edward and his son, as his son is very pragmatic, very logical, and Edward has a very bubbly life.”
Javorsky said that his interest in music was a result of his childhood.
He added “And since then I have gone through middle school and high school following my passion for music.”
He said that the emotion that can be brought out through music is the most attractive part of participating in the musical.
He said that he plans on bringing Edward to life by being over the top, and using positivity.
“I was nervous at first going into Edward because it was such a drastic change from my personality, but I feel having the challenge of becoming a character so unlike myself will give me a great understanding of a different way of living,” Javorsky said.
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