On the first snowy weekend in March, Mountain Lakes High School’s auditorium curtains opened for the spring musical: Beauty and the Beast. I was lucky enough to talk to some of the cast and crew members during their busy rehearsals leading up to the show.
Senior Nicole Giordano (featured HERE in last month’s Mustard Show), played Belle in the magical show. A natural on stage, Nicole has been in every show at MLHS since the beginning of her high school career. The opportunity to play Belle in Beauty and the Beast for her last performance was “a dream come true [because] Belle’s always been [her] favorite princess and [Beauty and the Beast] has always been [her] favorite Disney movie.” She added that being a part of the MLHS theater program throughout all of high school has “meant so much to [her]” and has been “incredible”.
Freshman Janaki Mehta, a member of the ensemble, said that working on the show was “such a bonding experience.” Before she was in Beauty and the Beast, she acted in Briarcliff’s production of Honk Jr. and was in the stage crew in The Lion King Jr. Although she had never thought that she would be a “theater kid,” she said that acting in the plays and shows was one of the best decisions she has ever made.
Freshman Josephine Hadjiloucas, another ensemble member in Beauty and the Beast, said that working on the play was an unforgettable experience because it gave her the ability to “be a part of something bigger than [herself]”, and make friends in all different grades. Josephine described the cast and crew as a “close family” and commented that the “upperclassmen and veterans of past shows welcomed everyone and pledged their support.” One of her fondest memories was the cast’s tradition of playing a “specific song” backstage during warm-ups.
Josephine recalled the last performance of Beauty and the Beast as “bittersweet because it was the last show for [the theater program’s] talented seniors who taught [the underclassmen] so much.” Even though the seniors are leaving next year, she said that she knows that they will all “stay connected through [their] shared experience.” Josephine encourages others interested in acting and performing to join the theater program for next year’s production.
I also spoke to Senior Alana Weiss about her experience working on the show as the stage manager. She said that working on the show was “really tiring.” She and everyone else in the cast and crew devoted hours to rehearsals and preparation for the show and put in a lot of effort to make it as marvelous as it was. She said, “[the amount of effort] shows in [the fact that] that [the cast and crew has] made something really amazing, and [she’s] really proud of everyone involved.” Alana also recommends getting involved in MLHS’s future productions because “it’s been so much fun.”
Junior Halle Korman was also a member of the crew and agreed with Alana that working on Beauty and the Beast was “very, very exhausting” but also extremely rewarding because “it’s all worth it once you see the finished product.” Halle added that “everyone works so hard… [to put] together an amazing show that [she] hope[s] everyone enjoys.”
It was clear to everyone in the nearly sold out auditorium that this year’s production of Beauty and the Beast required hours of energy and hard work from the dedicated cast and crew. Everything in the show, from the intricate set designs to the the stunning vocal performances, made for a theatrical experience that will not soon be forgotten.
Members of the cast pose for a picture during rehearsal.
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