For those Beaver Area students and staff who are fans of the bestest show, Glee, we hope to emulate the glorious Glee style in this fashionable interview.

All of you musical freaks are probably Gleeks too (just like us (no Kendrick)) combining the two topics in perfect harmony.

In our glinterviews (Glee interviews for those not in the know) Mrs. Beth Damesimo (Musical Director) and Mr. Dane Schlenke (Assistant Director) spilled the slushy that is the hot goss (actually cold) on the musical.

First, we dove into some p’s and q’s about the adaptation of leadership within the musical department.

Kallie: What inspired you to take on the role of orchestrating the musical?

Schlenke (silent e, no questions at this time) Dawg: I’ve always liked musical theater, and then when I was in Newsies (2023) I had a wonderful time, it was like one of the highlights of my career. And when Mrs. Metelsky retired and Mrs. D took over, she asked me if I would be interested in being an assistant director, and I was excited.

Genna: How do you decide which musical to stage each year? Is it based on the students’ interests, or is there a specific vision you have in mind?

I’ll defer to Mrs. D, but we sort of understand who we have and have a general idea about who did it last year, who’s moving up, where do we have talent, do we have strong tenors, do we have strong altos, what the strengths and weaknesses are, and go; okay, so what shows have similar roles and what shows would make sense?

Genna: Sooo you pick the musical before the auditions?

I wouldn’t say we pick the musical, but we have a short list.

What do you think is most important in the casting process: talent, enthusiasm, or both?

Talent absolutely matters, but you have to think about if there’s a situation where a person has talent but there’s a problem with time commitments, etc.

Genna: You can also work to become talented. Like dancing.

True true. But dancing’s kinda like you have it or you don’t. Like not to stereotype, but specifically the guys: you teach them a few moves and then surround them with people who can dance. Kind of like Dancing with the Stars.

Have you seen any developments in students who do musical, like the ones you have in the classroom?

Absolutely yes. Yes, and I would say that it’s not particularly like skills that translate to the classroom, like essay writing, but more like, oh, wow you’re making more friends or being more self confident.

Genna: Like demure.

Demure? Less demure you mean?

Genna: No, like elegant demure. Like not too out there.

Some people get too out there. But, yes, you’re right. You don’t want to be obnoxious demure.

After talking to the baby boss Mr. Shue (self-proclaimed by Schlenke) figure, we met with the big Captain Sue figure, Mrs. Damesimo.

Genna: How do you decide which musical to stage each year? Is it based on the students’ interests, or is there a specific vision you have in mind?

Choosing the show is one of the hardest parts of the process! There are many considerations including cast size, roles, dance requirements, budget, etc. All of these elements come into play when selecting a show as a direction team.

Kallie: What challenges do you face in putting together a musical at the high school level?

One of the biggest challenges is how to scale a show that was intended for a professional organization to something that is accessible and practical to do at the high school level. Oftentimes we have to adapt elaborate sets or costumes to fit within what we are able to accomplish within our timeframe and budget. However, this is also one of the most exciting parts of the process, too. It requires a lot of teamwork and volunteering people's time, skills, and talents to put it all together.

Genna and Kallie: (Shoutout to the mom sewing and makeup crew—you ladies do wonders!)

Genna: How do you help students cope with stage fright or nervousness before the big performance?

I think being well-prepared is the best way to combat stage fright, so we try to ensure everyone feels really confident in everything before the curtain goes up. Of course we have other pre-show strategies we use to calm the nerves before a big performance, but I think being prepared is the most important piece to having confidence going into opening night

(Kallie: The opening night nerves never go away, but maybe this is just a stage crew dilemma?!?)

Kallie: If you could be a part of the cast yourself, what role would you want to play and why?

I think every director wants to be the "Man in Chair" when they prepare this production. His character gets to speak to the audience the entire show, has a lot of really funny lines, and also a few moments that are really exposed and honest.

Genna: If you could cast anyone in the world (famous or not) to be in the musical, who would you pick?

I know this probably sounds cheesy, (Genna: um, hello, this is a Glee interview, so extra cheese!) but I wouldn't sub anyone in our cast for a professional actor. Aside from the fact that I believe we have a fabulous cast, I really enjoy working with high school students and watching their characters transform throughout our rehearsal time. That's truly the most rewarding part of the job!

We hope you enjoyed some insider information from our musical gurus. Go see the musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, March 14-16.😊