Winter Play: Beauty and the Beast

The Freedom High School musical Beauty and the Beast will run from Feb. 24-27.

Rachel Novi is the FHS theater teacher leading the operation. It all starts with Novi assessing the students that will be returning at the end of the school year. This is to see what would be best for the students to present and to make sure the skills that each one has shines through.

“I select a show that one is obviously school appropriate and two that will help them grow and meet the needs of the student body in general,” Novi said.

When a musical is in production there’s more steps and more challenges to worry about when it comes to getting everything ready. Casting for the musical went up early in December 2021. After casting, there is a long process with alternating schedules, blocking the stage, getting everyone good with the dances that are required, and everyone learning the music that is necessary. This is also on top of learning the regular lines of the musical.

“So a musical is a little bit more involved and challenging than a play because they have to learn not only what they’re doing on stage, the blocking, but also the choreography, which is the dancing and then the music as well,” Novi said.

Overall it’s a very long process to make this musical happen in February.