DANVILLE – Danville High School is about to step into the bright lights of a global music spectacular.
On Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12 and 13, the school’s performing arts department will join thousands of theatrical organizations around the world to present All Together Now! A Global Event Celebrating Local Theatre.
The 7 p.m. program in the high school auditorium will feature students dancing and singing some of the most iconic songs from Broadway and movies, including “Tomorrow,” “Seize the Day” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. both nights. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students.
“This is a big deal—a very big deal—around the world,” said Kami Owen, Danville’s choir and drama teacher. “It’s a celebration of theatre lights coming back on after the darkness of the pandemic.
“We’re a very small school district but we’re pulling it together—a musical review of all the greatest songs from the best of 10 musicals. It will be an hour of high-quality music.”
All Together Now! is sponsored by Music Theater International (MTI), a New York City-based licensing agency, which is allowing schools and theaters around the world to use the copyrighted music free of charge during Nov. 12-15.
More than 5,500 individual performances are expected to be seen by more than a million audience members.
“All Together Now! Is about bringing people back to the theatre, whether as audience members or cast, crew and musicians,” said Drew Cohen, MTI’s president and CEO. “Our goal with this worldwide event is for organizations to provide hope, inspiration and excitement to their communities through the transformative power of musical theatre.”
MTI is providing the performance (musical) track to accompany the live singing.
Owen, now in her third year at Danville, said students auditioned in August and began rehearsals in September. Most are senior high and junior high, but the cast includes students as young as third grade. The show will double as the choir’s fall concert.
Danville yearbook photos of choir and drama students from decades past—as far back as the 1930s—will be projected on stage during the show.
Twenty-one students in the choir and 15 performing arts members will be featured. Five others—Abby Holt, Mackenzie Addair, Andrea Deems, Nadia Evans and Austin Addair—will direct the sound and lighting and cue the numbers.
Joining Owen on the drama production team are faculty members Jessica Smarrella, Kevin Langdon and Steve Butcher and parent volunteer Kate Meyers.
Proceeds from the Nov. 12-13 shows will be used to produce the drama department’s production of “School of Rock” in the spring.
The complete program and cast includes:
“Be Our Guest”
Danville choir
Soloists: Bebo Adams, Haylee Cunningham, Rayne Adams
“Writing Down the Story of My Life”
Solo: Emma Payne
“Middle of a Moment”
Solo: Nick Mosher
“This is the Moment”
Solo: Preston Owen
“We’re All in this Together”
Choir and performing arts members
Soloists: Briana Ewalt and Eiley McCardel
“Tomorrow”
Solo: Tessa Wittel
“The New World”
Choir
Soloists: Shelby Colopy, Jackson Loyd, Haylee Cuningham, Preston Owen
“She Used to Be Mine”
Soloists: Alayna Arnal, Aine McCardel, Shelby Colopy
“Seize the Day”
Choir
Soloists: Jackson Loyd, Preston Owen
Dancers: Briana Ewalt, Eiley McCardel, Abbey McCardel, Anie McCardel, Alayna Arnal, Rayne Adams, Tessa Wittel, Ella Uhler, Allie Vance
“When I Grow Up”
Tessa Wittel, Allie Vance, Nick Mosher, Fiona Bratton, Ella Uhler, Max Wells, Emma Payne
“Take a Chance on Me”
Soloists: Chloe George and Eiley McCardel
“Let it Go”
Solo: Allie Vance
“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
Performing arts members
Soloists: Haylee Cunningham, Bebo Adams, Fiona Bratton, Max Wells
“Seasons of Love”
Choir
Soloists: Alayna Arnal and Simon Lape
“You Can’t Stop the Beat”
Choir and performing arts members
Soloists: Mya Wind, Allie Vance, Emma Payne, Briana Ewalt
