The lights shine upon a bare stage.
Performers mill around looking at their scripts, attempting to memorize their lines, dances, and songs.
There is a sense of urgency as the deadline draws closer and closer.
There’s only a month left.
The annual musical presented by Carlmont Performing Arts is a month away from its premiere, but the performers and stage crew are hard at work getting everything ready for opening night.
This year, the musical is “Once Upon a Mattress,” which was first opened as a musical in 1959 as an off-Broadway production.
In 2005, it was made into a movie produced by Disney featuring Carol Burnett, Denis O’Hare, Zooey Deschanel, and Matthew Morrison.
“I was originally skeptical of the musical choice because I had never heard of ‘Once Upon a Mattress,’ but after reading the script, my doubt lessened because the comedy is well written,” said junior Nathan Kinsey.
To prepare for the production, the stage performers have an increase in rehearsals leading up to the shows on February 4-8.
“Though rehearsals can be a bit taxing, they can also be super fun. I understand that we have an increased amount of rehearsals because the show is getting closer,” said sophomore Chaelyn Arrastia.
The stage performers and crew will also have a 12-hour rehearsal on a Saturday.
“We can’t complain. All the actors knew that it was going to happen. It’s a sacrifice that we make for a stellar production,” said Kinsey.
The extra rehearsals give the performers more time to pull all the parts of the musical together.
“Last year’s rehearsals and shows just came together so well. This year feels a bit more tedious, but only because of the different type of ensemble that each production had,” said Arrastia.
The upcoming performances serve as motivation for the performers to pull the musical together.
Arrastia said, “I’m excited to put the whole production together because it’s a great feeling when you see all of your long hours of hard work come to life.”
