The Oak Harbor High School Choir Club will soon bring a blend of Broadway and Hollywood’s best songs served with blinding sequins, LED lights and tight tights.
The musical revue, directed by Choir Director Darren McCoy, is a compilation of 15 songs and a poem from different musicals and movies from the past and present. Whether you’re a fan of classics like “The Sound of Music” or rewatch “The Bridges of Madison County” to cope with heartbreak, this might be the show for you.
For $10, community members are invited to experience the magic firsthand at 7 p.m. May 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11, with doors opening at 6:15 p.m., at Oak Harbor High School.
The theme of the show, which is presented every two years and features new students and songs, is “We’re All Stars.”
McCoy said he chose the theme after being inspired by “Wish,” one of Disney’s latest animated musicals. The musical revue features the song “I’m a Star,” which explains humans are made of the same elements that come from the stars and the cosmos.
In the musical revue, no one is left behind, as it showcases different talents in the school with solo and ensemble performances that mix singing, acting and dancing skills. In the auditioning process, McCoy first selected members of the cast, then assigned them a song that would best fit their voice.
The director said he enjoys seeing students discover skills they did not know they had.
Some students even choreographed some of the performances, including “When I Grow Up” from “Matilda” and choreographed by Eclipse Garrett, and “One by One” from “Ordinary Days” and choreographed by Spencer Grubbs.
The show is also a way for students to gain more confidence and improve their skills before next year’s big show, “High School Musical,” which, perhaps as fate or simple coincidence, tells the story of East High School’s Wildcats.
Drama teacher Micki Gibson said the show offers audience members the opportunity to discover songs from musicals they might want to see in full.
According to Gibson, the seniors were able to bring the choir and drama programs back to glory, despite experiencing the challenges of Zoom school back in the early pandemic days.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. that same day, community members are also welcome to help the students raise funds for club activities by purchasing a mattress at the school.
Photo by Luisa Loi Students perform “When I Grow Up” from the musical “Matilda.”
Photo by Luisa Loi The Musical Revue features 15 popular and less-known songs, including “Seasons of Love” from “Rent” and”Men in Tights” from “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” which is depicted in the photo.
