Tonight was the closing of Ragtime at Heritage High School in Lynchburg, VA. What a great production from all involved. It’s great to witness such talented young people, both musically and theatrically.
It was kinda weird being in a production without my daughter, Celeste. She commented (Tweeted) regarding the strange feeling of being in the audience for a show at her alma mater. She was great in all her roles, of course.
From the ‘Guitary’ side of things, the music wasn’t terribly difficult. Now, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat was tough; especially the parts adapted from piano to guitar. Well, adapted is being used very loosely here: copied directly would be more accurate. There were many arpeggiations in seconds in the piano, and subsequently guitar, part.
Anyway, the book was 141 pages and, while we cut some tunes and there were sections for alternate keyed songs, the show was still 2 1/2 hours long.
It seems the toughest part of this show for everyone from the soundman (He was there since the first show in 1976.), to the students in the cast and orchestra pit, was the fact that this is the last musical in this auditorium. The new building will be ready for use in the 2016-2017 school year.
Natually, the current building will be demolished. I plan to watch this process if possible. I’m sure it will be emotionally touching as well. I went there, my wife, Angela, went there, and Celeste graduated from there in 2015.
I took some fuzzy pictures of this run with my ‘Flippy/Floppy’ phone.
They are:
Tech Week,
Show,
Show,
Last Pep Talk,
Last Pit Performance,
Last Show,
and Last Show.
Certainly, it will be exciting to be in a new building, but it’s always a little sad when major components of our life become history.
-Justin
Music Musings 