MADISON — Sold out. Filled to capacity. Past St. Ambrose Academy (SAA) musical productions like Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, and The Sound of Music have drawn full-house crowds.
SAA student actors have built a reputation for excellent, entertaining musicals that frequently earn Jerry nominations and awards for their on-stage and behind-the-scenes talent.
Latest show
But, what about the latest SAA show, Singin’ in the Rain?On the verge of moving into the theater in mid-March 2020, the cast and crew had to accept disappointing news: Their show would be postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic.
One year later, would the show go on? It’s (almost) a best-case scenario.
Although the in-person performances hosted by St. Aloysius School (608 Oak St., Sauk City) will have limited in-person attendance capacity, the reach of Singin’ in the Rain will be unlimited.
Partnering with Backflip, a Madison-based media company, SAA will be able to offer a professional livestream involving multiple cameras.
For the first time, SAA friends and supporters all over the world can tune in to see the show live!
The Friday, March 26, and Saturday, March 27, performances are at 7 p.m.
The Sunday, March 28, matinee is at 2 p.m.
Livestream passes are still available at https://www.ambroseacademy.org/musical/
Enhancing the show
As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining, and this production will bring audiences a lot of sunshine.
“Rather than focus on our disappointment when the musical was postponed, we decided to embrace the challenge and increase the difficulty level of our show,” said director Angela Hineline.
The cast regrouped in the fall, taking on more sophisticated choreography and staging as well as expanding the corps of tap dancers.
The performers have taken the time to enhance their characters and improve their skills on stage.
Beyond talent, though, the SAA cast and crew will deliver something that is happily contagious: Joy!
“Even in difficult times, it’s important to laugh and have fun. It’s important to develop real relationships. And, it’s important to do the thing that God made you to do,” explained Hineline, underscoring some of the themes of Singin’ in the Rain.
These themes will particularly resonate with audiences who are starved not only for live (or livestream) entertainment but also for something that is good, true, beautiful . . . and downright hilarious.
Senior John Marsland as Don Lockwood and sophomore Isaac Carrano as Cosmo Brown have put the finishing touches on the uproariously funny “Moses Supposes” scene.
Yes, they will be mercilessly mocking their poor diction coach, but the effect will be side-splitting.
Marsland commented, “I love this scene so much, mostly due to how much chemistry we’ve built over two years and how much fun we all have interacting every time.”
Finally, the cast and crew will be able to do what they love — present an incredible show to delight those in-house and at home.
There have been obstacles, like how to rehearse when indoor gatherings are restricted to 10 people.
But, the cast and crew have ingeniously and patiently persevered.
Now, it’s time for the St. Ambrose Academy production team to take an already fun show and elevate it to something even more satisfying in these times: Unlimited joy on stage!