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PrintThree months of hard work are coming to an end for Smithton Drama Players. “Miss Nelson is Missing,” the spring musical, premieres Thursday and continues on Friday, and Saturday at Smithton Middle School.
Pressure has mounted a little higher than normal for this year’s musical, though, as Joan Cushing, who adapted the script, lyrics and music, will make a special appearance at the performance.
Donna Moessner, seventh-grade drama teacher and musical director, invited Cushing last spring when she decided to do “Miss Nelson is Missing” for the spring 2005 musical. Moessner asked Cushing if she had ever visited any of the schools where her musicals were performed.
“I would love for my kids to meet a playwright,” Moessner told Cushing.
Cushing will attend the Thursday and Friday night performances and speak with drama classes. Moessner hopes she will spend some “one-on-one” time with the cast.
Cushing adapted “Miss Nelson is Missing” from the two children’s books “Miss Nelson is Missing!” and “Miss Nelson is Back” by Harry Allard. She has written several other children’s musicals, including “Brave Irene,” “Junie B. Jones” and “Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood.”
When asked about Cushing attending the performances, seventh-grader Anna Clart, who plays a classroom student, said, “It does make me a little more nervous.”
Moessner got permission from Cushing to expand the musical, which was originally written for adults, from six cast members to 35. Sixth- and seventh-graders are cast in five lead roles and 25 chorus/classroom roles. Lead roles are double cast, meaning there are two students playing each lead role. With four performances, each lead performs in two.
“In middle school, you want to include as many kids as you can,” Moessner said.
Seventh-grader Gail Harmata is one of the two students cast as Miss Viola Swamp, the evil substitute teacher.
“I love being the evil character,” Harmata said. “It’s always really fun.”
Harmata also said there is a secret to her character, but wouldn’t reveal it, saying, “You’ll just have to come to the musical.”
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