Musical runs through the weekend at Westosha Central
By Anne Trautner
Staff Writer
Audience members will be transported back to a 1930s cruise ship as Westosha Central High School presents its fall musical comedy, “Anything Goes,” this weekend.
Students have been rehearsing for the past two months.
“It is going very well. We are really in good shape for this show. I think more so than for any of our productions, we have really been on top of it for the entire project,” Director Michael Klimzak said.
About 35 students make up the cast, while another 30 are in the crew.
“They didn’t realize, because we are doing an older play, how funny this play was going to be. They are really getting into the humor of the piece, so they have been enjoying it,” Klimzak said.
The production features music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was written by Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Timothy Crouse and John Weidman wrote the new book on which the musical is based.
The story’s theme features the classic boy meets girl, boy loses girl and boy gets girl.
“There are lots of slapstick and one-liner jokes, which is difficult for this age group,” Choreographer Kyle Kimberly Baker said. “It’s timely, it takes place in the 1930s, so they are being entrenched in a totally different time in our history, which is really good for the kids to not be in modern times.”
This year’s musical is more challenging than the past two years, said Baker, who choreographed “Seussical” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
“Cole Porter music made it a little more intricate, more difficult. We have kids tapping who have never tapped before, so it is a little more difficult. Girls, you’re not just going to dance, you’re going to tap dance. Guys, you’re going to do comedy, but you’re going to do really shtick comedy, ba-da-bum. It’s a bit of a reach for everybody, but they are all doing great,” Baker said.
Central High School’s musical is directed by Klimzak, while Rob Clark is musical director, Baker is choreographer, Casey Racas is scenic designer and Rebecca Tym is the scenic artist.
The musical comedy will be performed Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $10 per adult, $8 per student or senior citizen. Children 5 and younger are free. Tickets can pre-ordered at www.westosha.k12.wi.us.
Baker said the students are enjoying putting on the play.
“I think the kids have fun doing theater, period. It’s an opportunity for them to step out of Wisconsin and be somewhere else, so it’s a bit of a travel thing for them in their imaginations,” Baker said.