NT_032119

northbrooktower.com life & arts
the northbrook tower | March 21, 2019 | 27
‘Annie Jr.’ teaches Maple students life lessons off the stage
Alexa Burnell
Freelance Reporter
Students participating
in Maple School’s spring
musical learned valuable
lessons both on and off
the stage about determination,
perseverance and the
benefit of quick- thinking,
mirroring the same life lessons
as the lovable, feisty,
red-headed lead in their
production of “Annie.”
The production, which
entertained audiences the
weekend of March 15-17.
The annual musical is a
beloved tradition that has
been part of the school’s
culture for as long as most
can remember. While the
goal is to produce a production
that leaves the audience
tapping their toes
and dancing in their seats,
adult directors and producers
have a sneaky way of
infusing life lessons into
the process as well.
“What I love about our
performing arts program
is that it allows kids who
might ordinarily get lost in
the shuffle to find a home,”
Producer Debbie Hickey
said. “I have seen these
students grow and learn in
ways they never thought
possible. Being in this production
means they must
learn how to be organized,
manage their time and collaborate
with fellow performers.
Each year, I see
kids discover new skills
that can be applied to all
walks of life; this is their
time to shine.”
Seventh-grade student
Judy Marsh was one of
those young performers
who quickly learned that
there was just as much to
learn behind the scenes, as
on the stage.
“I started off with one
role, but then plans changed
and a student needed to
drop out of the production,
so I picked up an additional
role,” she said. “Then, a
similar situation occurred
and I was suddenly cast as
Drake, while managing a
few other roles. There were
definitely a lot of changes
throughout the season, but
I learned how to adapt and
handle all the quick costume
changes by relying
on the rest of the cast and
crew, who supported me
through it all; I couldn’t
have done it without the
entire cast. That’s how this
experience has been- one
person, supporting another.
It’s a good group.”
Hickey said Marsh
stepped up as a natural
leader during the production
and was a valuable asset
throughout.
Sixth-grade student
Maya Fliegler played Annie.
She too learned about
the value of time management
during the weeks
leading up to the production
as she balanced rehearsals,
homework, Hebrew
lessons and more.
“There were many nights
where I had so much homework,
but I had rehearsal as
well,” she said. “I learned,
how to balance and understand
that by committing
to the musical, I may have
nights with lots to do. I also
learned how to manage my
time, making sure I was
putting my effort into the
things that were most important.”
In addition, Fliegler found
her time spent with music
director Aaron Kaplan to be
valuable, contributing to her
successful solos.
“The song ‘Tomorrow’
is particularly difficult,”
Flieger said. “Mr. Kaplan
taught me how to breathe
with my diaphragm, instead
of putting all the stress on
my vocal chords; that made
such a difference.”
David Kang played
Daddy Warbucks, finding
that combining singing and
acting wasn’t as easy as he
had anticipated, despite his
background in choral singing.
“I’ve been in choir for a
long time, but this was my
first musical,” he said. “I’m
used to standing up at the
microphone and singing,
but not singing and acting.
It was very challenging, but
Mr. Kaplan taught me how
to tap into my emotions and
also bring myself into the
character. Those tips made
all the difference, allowing
me to mix acting and singing
more naturally.”
As a collective whole,
performers tipped their hat
The cast of “Annie Jr.” laps up applause from the
audience after a performance at Maple School. Photos
Submitted
to Director and Choreographer
Jeri Hart, who introduced
them to the concept
of a “fun run.”
“The fun run was not only
incredibly fun, but taught us
so many valuable lessons
too,” Marsh said. “Ms. Hart
had us run through the entire
production, but with exaggerated
emotions. Well, we
thought we were exaggerating
our emotions, but what
came across to the audience
was real, feelings. This experience
made us realize
that even when we thought
we were acting sad, mad or
THE SPRING
happy, we weren’t doing it
to the point of making it believable.
What seemed like
going over the top, came
across as natural. We will
never forget that experience,
or all the other lessons
we learned along the way
while making ‘Annie.’”
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