This past year, Marist thespians bonded as tightly as the laces on their tap shoes, drawing crowds with a season of unforgettable performances. The program kicked off the year with “Little Women” running from November 6-9 in the RedHawk Theater. The energy carried into the spring with students moving to Morgan Park Academy’s Baer Theater for a spectacular production of “42nd Street” which ran from March 26-28.
“I am always proud of the productions we share with the audience but this year I am even more proud of the personal growth and relationships among the students,” said Director Erin Vail.
Students started the season off with a cult classic, “Little Women.” The novel, written in the 1860s by Louisa May Alcott, recounts the life of the March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Despite their societal struggles, each sibling is determined to make their mark on the world.
“So many things go awry in the story and the sisters respond with care and grace,” said junior Erin Trapani who portrayed Amy March.
Much like the March sisters, the female leads of the cast developed a sisterhood that lived on stage and beyond.
“There’s always a special feeling I get whenever I do a show…the people around me just become part of my heart,” said Trapani. “The four of us were sisters in the show, but we definitely acted and felt like sisters backstage as well.”
The show’s success was fueled by cast members that commanded the stage as their characters dealt with loss, love, and the uncertainties of succeeding in the patriarchal 1860s.
“We have so many triple-threat performers right now, both male and female,” said Vail. “Our girls’ experience as leads in the fall really raised the bar for the leads and ensemble in the musical.”
Momentum from the fall kept spirits high as the spring musical, “42nd Street,” approached.
“This is the most dance-heavy show we’ve done since “West Side Story” in 2018,” said Vail. “Our current performers were ready for the challenge.”
The 1930s spectacle tells the story of Peggy Sawyer, a young girl and a talented tap dancer, who gets her big break after the leading lady of “Pretty Lady” suffers an injury.
“It’s about a group of people who need the work to pay the bills but they also need it to feed their souls,” said Vail. “Our students had to love the work of learning all the dances and putting the time in.”
Due to the musical’s high-energy dance numbers and synchronized tap steps, Vail and Director Erin Kelly, invited students to learn about the basics of tap dancing months prior to the audition with Marist alum and choreographer Grace Maxwell (‘20).
“I had to approach the choreography and rehearsals with a one day at a time mindset,” said Maxwell. “This show can be intimidating.”
After the announcement of the cast list, students stayed after school staging and singing, while also mastering the mannerisms of the 30s.
“We’re always trying to develop the students in our programs and push them to try new things and expand their repertoire,” said Vail.
As for the dancing, Maxwell time-stepped alongside cast members, spending hours after school and occasionally on weekends working on Maxi turns, buffalos, and the importance of a straight leg when they hitch-kicked.
“They were unbelievably hardworking and determined to get the sounds exactly right,” said Maxwell. “They would help each other if I wasn’t there and cheered for one another as they perfected the steps.”
After weeks of building the foundation, RedHawks found their nest at Morgan Park Academy’s Baer Theater which served as the production venue.
“It was great to see how it all eventually came together, with time…practice makes perfect,” said junior Maggie Dignan who portrayed “Anytime Annie” Reilly. “The show had life to it, everyone embodied their character.”
Final rehearsals were spent polishing up dance numbers, costumes, and lighting cues. Despite much effort, the show was ready. The only thing missing: people.
“Before our Thursday night performance [opening night], I asked the cast to think back on our first day of production,” said Maxwell. “As they thought back on it, they laughed and realized how significant their progress was.”
As the curtain rose revealing “those dancing feet,” a sustained cheer was gifted to each cast member. Crowds couldn’t get enough, filling seats during each show which kept cast mates at their best as they basked in the applause.
“Everyone can admit that it was a difficult show…different learning paces…skill level,” said Dignan. “It allowed us to cheer each other on…be happy for each other’s successes.”
As the curtain closed and the dressing room lights faded to a dim, the cast looked back on all they accomplished and the lifelong bond that tied them together.
“This show would not have been what it was without this resilient group,” said Maxwell. “I hope that they remember what an incredible accomplishment this was and take the lessons and skills they learned from pursuing tap beyond the stage.”
