This year, Monte Vista cuts loose with FOOTLOOSE: The Musical! Based on the 1984 musical movie starring Kevin Bacon, the show ran from February 28 to March 3.
After riding the high of 2023’s rendition of Mean Girls: The Musical, the Theater Arts department succeeded again in delivering another notable winter musical. From flashing lights, to student choreography, to live music, the musical was an amalgamation of talent from the theater, choir, and band classes.
A total of 77 students from all these classes come together to create the production. A main player in this collaboration is Nora Hui, the pit conductor tasked with producing the live music with the band students that are interested in playing for the musical. Coordinating rehearsals that run parallel to those of Play Production and Choir, Hui’s leadership was instrumental in ensuring the integration of live music into the show.
“In the beginning [the band] practices together around four to five hours a week,” Hui said. “A lot of people have to practice on their own, and coming closer to the show, they practice six to seven hours a week.”
While the theater and choir classes have teachers to help with scheduling and rehearsals for the musical, Hui, a senior, is in charge of all things related to the live band.
“There’s a huge leadership aspect,” Hui said. “Scheduling and getting everyone to rehearsals is the most important and the biggest challenge.”
Choir teacher Rosalind Neisinger also emphasized the amount of teamwork required to produce the musical.
“There’s a lot of cross-collaboration,” Neisinger said. “[The three departments] have to really come together in the end. I do the singing rehearsals, Mr. Connor and the student directors do the directing, and Kinley Park and Keira Negrete choreographed the dancing.”
Preparation for the musical starts in December before winter break. Casting is done first so that performers can familiarize themselves with the music over break and jump right into the actual production when they return to school.
“Right when we come back in January, we hit the ground running with these separate rehearsals,” Neisinger said. “I typically start with the ensemble stuff, the bigger numbers, so that they’re really strong. But it’s sort of daunting. It’s a lot to do, which is why we try to take it in little chunks.”
Band has to learn about 23 different live pieces to play and onstage performers have to learn and perfect multiple songs, which includes memorizing many individual actions while singing.
“The dances are the hardest part, but also the most fun,” said ensemble member Siya Sampige. “But the choreographers are so nice, so they really help us through it.”
Students face the difficulty of having to pay attention to all the different elements going on, but with the help of those leading, they manage to stay focused on the production.
“People are really receptive to feedback and notes, and I think it would be a lot harder if people weren’t,” said co-director Jude Toombs. “They are really open to constructive criticism, which is really nice, especially when it comes to more specific things like blocking or figuring out entrances and exits.”
The culmination of all the individual rehearsals leads into the three dress rehearsals, the final one being performed in front of students from the theater department at San Ramon Valley High School. It mimics the experience of playing in front of an actual live audience for the cast and crew.
And ultimately, with this partnership of so many different classes, many of those involved enjoy being able to collaborate with different students that they normally don’t get to work with. The sentiment is echoed by people all throughout the production.
“The best part about the process is the friends I’ve made,” said ensemble member and choir student, Ryder Cartago. “It’s been so fun to be around such a large group of people that want to do the things that I do.”
As the curtains close on FOOTLOOSE: The Musical!, the theater department quickly pivots to its comedy show coming this spring.
