Quite literally blood, sweat, and tears go into the creation of a musical, for it’s what takes place behind the scenes that really brings a production to life.
The Starlight Theatre Company (STC) tackled the Broadway musical, Miss Saigon, which captures the lowly life of a young woman struggling to survive heartbreak and poverty in the midst of the Vietnam War.
“We are always ‘upping the ante’ when it comes to putting on the musical,” STC director Marco Bazan said. “Mrs. Cornwell and I have been talking about doing this show for years and while the music is challenging, it really matches this company.”
Miss Saigon showcased Jan. 23 through Feb. 3, Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m..
In mid December Y.N.N. (Youth News Network) covered an article on the company’s production of Miss Saigon and interviewed the leads of the play; sophomore Paige Bradbury and junior Emma Hull. STC was also congratulated by Onstage Across America, for being on a nationally syndicated television program.
The annual musical is STC’s featured production of the year, bringing in nearly 500 people a night for two weeks.
“It’s a great time to showcase the talents of our company,” Bazan said. “I’ve been teaching here ten years and we’ve never replicated a set design, not even remotely.”
In order to put on a production as extensive as the musical, hours upon hours go into the preparation and rehearsing of the show months before the posters are even released.
“The hardest part is the amount of time we are given,” Bazan said. “A dance number that typically should take eight to ten hours to teach and perfect, we get but four. Nevertheless our students always seem to step up to the challenge.”
Besides the hard work and dedication that is brought to the table, the company also received a budget in order for the directors and tech directors to buy costume, set, and production materials needed to bring the show together.
“Our budget is usually somewhere around $25,000. We’ve spent a lot more on set and costumes this year, but that comes with the territory when you have 60 to 80 people in a cast, some playing multiple parts,” Bazan said.
Miss Saigon was written by the same writers of popular Broadway show and major motion picture, Les Misérables. The play features some controversial scenes as many Broadway and professional productions do.
“We’ve done Chicago, Evita; musicals that have their challenges and their controversy,” Bazan said. “I can understand the side of the story to those who may focus on the controversial parts, but in reality those scenes are so small when it comes to entirety of the plot.”
Student actors and technicians who worked on the production put in over 30 hours a week, according to Bradbury.
“Theatre can be demanding, but if it’s something you really love to then you will put in as many hours as it takes,” Bradbury said.
In order to prepare for her role, she not only practiced hours after school with the company but also at home where she ran through songs and tried to put herself into her character’s mind set, according to Bradbury.
“When you’re carrying a show it’s really up to you to make sure it goes well and it can be a lot of pressure, but also a lot of fun,” Bradbury said.
Besides Bradbury and Hull, who portrayed protagonist Kim, sophomore Austin Hyde took on the lead role of Chris, Kim’s American G.I. and lover.
“I’m very much a type cast in the way my character is somewhat naive and love drawn, so it wasn’t hard for me to hoan that,” Hyde said.
Being a lead in the musical can put stress not only on you personally, but also on your voice, according to Hyde.
“There was a good week that my voice was just gone, but now it’s better and I’m drinking tea everyday, so I felt fairly confident,” Hyde said.
Compared to the past musicals that STC has showcased including; Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and Hairspray, Miss Saigon is a less well-known production.
“This musical is far more dramatic, more plot-driven, and definitely more challenging when it comes to the music,” Hyde said. “Many of the songs repeat instrumentally but the words change, so I keep thinking I’m going to sing the wrong line.”
Most of the characters in Miss Saigon are Vietnamese, so in order for the actors to get into their roles dying and cutting their hair was expected if they didn’t have wigs.
“If you don’t want to cut your hair, if you don’t want to dye it, if you don’t want to be willing to do this show and go all out then you shouldn’t be doing musicals. Musicals are a high demand and if you really want to capture that image then you have to be committed,” Hyde said.
Auditions for STC productions are open to any student and with over 70 actors in this musical, quite a few of the people who auditioned we’re given a role.
“The chorus members are just as important, if not more important than leads, they set the tone for the whole show,” Hyde said.
With every year, new actors and technicians are introduced into the company and welcomed into new roles and opportunities that keep the 26-year tradition alive.
“The talent in this company is so diverse; even before I joined I had gone to the performances and I knew my class had big shoes to fill, but it seems that talent just keeps coming in,” Hyde said. “I can’t wait to see all the freshman get their chance and see what they can do in years to come.”
While Miss Saigon had more than its share of controversy, the play really expresses the sacrifice that one woman took for her son, according to Bazan.
“I hope at the end of the day everyone left with the message that we left with when we first saw it, which was a story about a hero, and a survivor, and people who are willing to do what they have to in order to better the people around them,” Bazan said.