“We’ll talk about class format, driving format, schedules, enrollment and fee procedures, policies, license laws and types, supervised driving requirements, car-pooling, and more,” said instructor Bruce Rupp.

According the Rupp students can enroll in the class if they’re 14 years or older by the time sessions start.

“I prefer to have students and one or both parents attend the meeting,” Rupp said.

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“This is my second year trying out for the spring play,” sophomore Samantha Rohleder. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

According to Rohleder, the small, close-knit atmosphere creates a family feel that just can’t be matched by other school programs.

“There aren’t as many people who try out, and there’s a lot less drama,” Rohleder said. “I love everything about it.”

This year’s play is called “Virgil’s Family Reunion,” a sequel to the 2008 spring play, “Virgil’s Wedding.”

“I chose to do the sequel because I wanted to do a farce again,” Gasper, director of the spring plays, said. “I really liked the script. It’s hilarious.”

Gasper said that, while the cast will be completely different than that of “Virgil’s Wedding,” it will still be a Nogreat production.

“We have a lot of talent this year,” Gasper said. “It’ll have a different feel than ‘Virgil’s Wedding,’ but they’ll still be able to create the characters well. The kids will have fun producing it, and the audience will have fun watching it.”

Rohleder agrees that the spring play will be good.

“I’m really hoping it’s a lot like last year,” Rohleder said. “I thought it was really fun.”

According to Gasper, auditions will be done differently this year. The only people in the audition room will be himself, drama teacher Zach Butte, and 6 students at a time.

“We’re going to create audition groups this year,” Gasper said. “Six students will randomly be grouped together and try out at the same time. No one else will be allowed inside the room.”

The students will need to be prepared to play any role during auditions, no matter the gender.

“I want to see what they can do with what I give them,” Gasper said.

Callbacks will be on the second day of auditions.

“On the second day, I want to test the actors’ chemistry with each other,” Gasper said. “We’ll read from the play and see which people play which parts the best.”

Auditions will be held after school next Tuesday and Wednesday, January 17 and 18, in the Lecture Hall.

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First up on the program is the vocal department. The concert choir will be performing “Fanfare for Christmas Day” by Martin Shaw, ft. trumpets Lane Martin and Keira Schwarz, “Jingle Bells Through the Ages” arr. by Allen Pote, and “Go Tell It On the Mountain” arr. by Kirby Shaw. The Freshman choir will be singing “The Carol of the Dance” by Noel Goemanne ft. on flute Samantha Fisher, and Zach Kuntz on timpani, “Marry Christmas, Darling” arr. Teena Chinn. “Sleigh Ride” arr. by Hawley Ades. Chamber Singers will be singing “Ave Verum Corpus” by William Byrd, “In the Moon of Wintertime” by Paul Brandvik, “Here We Come a-Caroling” arr. by Ken Malucelli and Deke Sharon, and “Carol of the Bells” also arr. by Ken Malucelli and Deke Sharon.

“Rehearsals have been going very well and the students are well rehearsed and looking forward to putting it all together,” choral director Jonny Matlock said. “We’ve been having sectional rehearsals and working the music without instrumental accompaniment. I believe the concert will be very successful and entertaining for the audience and the performers will feel successful.”

Next on stage will be the orchestra, directed by Mrs. Joan Crull.

“The orchestra has been working very hard on this music and having fun with it,” Crull said.

They will be performing Handel’s Water music with oboe and bassoon, “A Holst Christmas,” by Gustav Holst, and Carol of the Bells,” arr. by Michael Hopkins, ft. a trap set and an electric bass.

“The pieces all are a completely different style to play so it’s been fun to learn them,” Crull said. “We usually meet together and Mr. Mark, the assistant director, pulls out one section at a time. We also listen to professional recordings of the pieces so we understand the style and what it should sound like. The orchestra and I are excited to share what we’ve been working on.”

Following the orchestra will be the band. They will be playing “Alamo March” by Karl King arr. by James Swearingen, “Shenandoah” arr. by James Ployhar, and “Rhythm Danse” by Richard L. Saucedo.

“We prepare by having full band rehearsals and sectionals with Mr. Bishop,” band director Mr. Craig Manteuffel said. “We are playing awesome music and I hope people come and listen on Thursday.”

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The show was presented to middle school students and fifth graders on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and will open to the public starting on Thursday.

“Show week is my favorite part of musical,” junior Spencer McCue said. “All the energy is so great.”

McCue feels the show will be spectacular on Thursday.

“The matinees could have used some work, but that was because we’re all really tired,” McCue said. “The shows will definitely be really good.”

Senior Kylee Augustine agreed.

“We’ll get better with every show,” Augustine said.

Augustine has participated in ten stage productions and said Aida is among her favorites.

“I’m an adult now, and it’s an adult musical,” Augustine said. “It’s really a different experience.”

Tickets can be bought for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at 12^th Street Auditorium. The final show on Sunday will be at 2:30 p.m.

“All the hard work will definitely pay off,” Augustine said.

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The
performance dates are November, Thursday 10 at 7:30 p.m, Friday 11 at 7:30 p.m,
Saturday 12 at 7:30 p.m, and Sunday 13 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets that are bought at
the door performance nights will be $7.50.

13ozody@usd489.com

Seniors Ben Glassman, Zack Gaughan and Taylor Ermoian performed “All Ye” and received second place; they were awarded $50.

Singing “Baby” were juniors Jake Nelson and Kevin Rivera who received third place and were awarded $25.

Other acts included:

Whitney Gerstner dancing to “A Sweet Disposition”

Tia Grover and Stephanie Windholz singing “Impossible”

Aaron Jacobs singing “Hero”

Delphine Burns and Julia Jordan singing “Breathe”

“I think the song is okay,” senior Max Haverfield said. “It’s kind of annoying, but it’s not as bad as people say.”

So some feel her voice isn’t all that bad, but others don’t give her voice that much credit.

“I don’t like her voice, but the song is good,” freshman Julie Balzer said.

According to irebeccablack.com, the young singer’s so far one-hit wonder, “Friday”, is easing up the iTunes charts. The song was released on March 14, and was produced by ARK Music Factory. The song went viral after being posted and retweeted on several blogs.

Soon after, the comments started to fly. Everyone seemed to become a critic and everything from her voice to the actual video has been under scrutiny.

Yet some students think she might be more than just a phase.

“She has potential,” freshman Josh Bull said.

Though the lyrics to her song might not be deep and meaningful, some find it entertaining.

“Thanks to her, I learned the days of the week,” junior Cashmere Copeland said.

Others enjoy the song and think it’s a fun and catchy song. And though it’s not being heard on the radio just yet, it can still be heard hummed in the halls.

“I love it,” Balzer said. “I like to sing it, but my sister won’t let me unless it’s actually Friday.”

Some people love the song and love Rebecca Black. Others like the song and feel she has some potential. But then there’s the rest of the population that seems to agree with Charlie Sheen.

“I think she’s famous because the song is so bad,” junior Booker Rohlf said.

This year the Spring Play was “It Happens Every Summer,” a play about the staff and guest editors of a 1962 New York fashion magazine. Every June, a group of college girls from all over the country come to work for the magazine as a prize for winning a contest. The girls all try to find the line between work and their social lives, and each girl has her own goal. This romantic comedy is intended to keep the audience’s interest with witty lines and funny situations.

“I think the audience will like the irony in the show,” sophomore Leisha Sadler, playing Bitsy Stelling, said. “They’ll like Annabelle’s character too. She really adds a lot of drama to the play. She is the drama.”

Other members of the cast agree that the audience will love the characters.

“I think that the audience will feel really connected the characters and some of the one liners they have,” sophomore Spencer McCue, playing Count Marcello Di Giacomo, said. “The play is way different than a musical.”

Students had to dedicate around two hours of practice every night, occasionally holding an extra-long practice that can last for three or four hours. Practice, homework and lessons all have to be juggled by the cast members.

“I keep my schedule clear for spring play during second semester,” Sadler said. “The only thing I have to watch is homework. Lately my nights have been filled with all homework and no play. Just keeping up with homework and balancing school, Spring Play, and the rest of my life is the most challenging part. Spring Play itself isn’t so challenging as long as you follow instructions. ‘It Happens Every Summer’ is a good experience. It’s just a different type of acting.”

Students can learn important lessons about acting from being in the play.

“The hardest thing is really just the whole part of opening up and facing the audience when you’re talking to someone right next to you,” McCue said.

The play may take time and energy, but Sadler thinks it is all worth it in the end.

“I really enjoy the actual shows the best, but right now the best part is probably the dress rehearsals,” Sadler said. “You get to relax downstairs while you’re waiting to go onstage and some pretty hilarious stuff has happened downstairs. I love acting and hang out with my friends. That’s mostly what Spring Play is.”