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Annie was our first musical and it taught us so much! Many of the things that are hallmarks of our productions were developed during this show. Our cast was large, we had leads from all three grade levels, and elaborate dance numbers were evident throughout the show. These same qualities have been important parts of our shows ever since.
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Our second show certainly did have a large cast! It also had the most elaborate dance number in our history. "Be our Guest" featured human sized dinner plates, forks, and knives dancing furiously around the stage in giant concentric circles. Not to be outdone, there were a score of dancing napkins that weaved their way through it all!
When the curtain came down on Beauty, little did we know that in a little over a month school would shut down because of Covid, making us wonder if we would ever be able to put on another show! |
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Our next musical came more than two years after Beauty and the Beast. Covid prevented us from doing a show in 2021 and caused the postponement of this show by three months. We dealt with masks, quarantines, and large numbers of absences but we came back with a roar that even the Cowardly Lion would be proud of!
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The show that almost wasn't! Due to lots of changes and challenges it looked like there might not be a show this year. We ultimately decided that we had to continue the show and it would be Matilda. There were many returning faces but there were many brand new additions who were performing for the first time. Matilda required us to learn new techniques and added in some special effects including magic writing and cups that were moved by mind control. At its heart though, Matilda was a show about perseverance and finding your inner strength, lessons that we also learned as a company.
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Creepy and spooky, and altogether ooky, the Addams were a fun addition to McClure! It took a ton of white foundation to create several dozen ancestors but the effect was impressive. Equally impressive was the commitment to the show that our actors exhibited. Uncle Fester shaved his head and Grandma perfected the stoop of an aged, purveyor of magic. Strobe lights and fog added to the general mood of the show making it another McClure hit!
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Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize winning Our Town marked several firsts for our theater company. This was the first dramatic play that we had ever put on. It is also the first time (and hopefully the start of a new tradition) that we did a second show during the year. Notable also, was the very short rehearsal time before the show. From auditions to show night was only four and a half weeks! Instead of purchasing tickets, we asked our audience to donate school supplies for our counselors to distribute to students who needed some extra support. Thanks to our patrons' generosity, we were able to restock the counselors' cabinet for the next year.
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