Over 140 Weber High School students worked tirelessly after school for months to prepare and produce a remarkable performance of the musical West Side Story last fall. Each year staff and students deliver one incredible show after another.
Drama teacher Mark Daniels has a way of helping each production come together making the best use of students' talents in every area from set design and construction to acting and costumes. The finished product is always unique. He said, "I never just want to copy someone else’s work, that is not art. I want to be creative and make it our own, put our signature stamp on it, do something original that no one else has done. We put a live camel on stage for JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLR DREAMCOAT, we made it snow throughout the entire auditorium in WHITE CHRISTMAS, we put a 60 foot EL TRAIN TRACK above our heads in WEST SIDE STORY and our students are now learning how to do aerial acrobatics on silks from professionals in order to swing like apes in TARZAN." Tarzan, Disney's family stage musical will open January 29th and is produced by the WHS Productions Co., consisting of 37 cast members. There will be a special character brunch and performance on Feb 1st at 11:00am, where kids and parents can have brunch with the apes, Tarzan and Jane.
Mr. Daniels also said, "My favorite thing about rehearsal is the discovery on and off of the stage. These talented kids realize success they never thought they would or could accomplish! I love watching them make personal discoveries. The grin that spreads across a face when they hit the final note, or when the successfully execute a move or a scene or setting goals to make it better if they didn’t quite get it right last night to ensure that it is right tonight! MAGIC!"
Students have learned to work hard and give their very best under Mr. Daniels' and Musical Director Scott Wood's tutelage. The experience has also helped some students gain new perspective. After taking part in "West Side Story," student Katrina VanTassell realized that, "This isn't just a show for us, as actors, to just revel in the applause, it's something that can make people feel deeply...A production …can come together to make you ponder…the message."
