Review: PURPLE RHYMES WITH ORANGE at Grand Forks Central High School

Grand Forks Central Department Of Fine Arts has staged Purple Rhymes With Orange, the original musical written by Patrick Kasper, is back on stage again! This shorter version (about 1 hour and 10 minutes) was put on by the Grand Forks Central kids. This fun and family friendly show will hopefully be on many more stages in the future. I know Patrick would like to get this on as many stages as possible.

Purple Rhymes With Orange is the fun-filled story of protagonist Orange who is seeking his soul mate. Along the way, Orange meets a colorful cast of characters who fill his Tabula Rasa (empty slate) with comedy, drama, song, and dance. Can these colorful characters teach Orange the important lessons of life, so he can find what he is looking for?

Congratulations and thank you to director Maren Dewar on taking the chance on a brand new and original show! Every kid I talked to after the show was beaming with pride because they were a part of something truly special. Great job bringing in Patrick Kasper and Emily Durow to work on the choreography.

I have only attended two shows ever in Grand Forks, and this was my first show at Grand Forks Central High. Hopefully it won't be my last. There is some great talent here.

Quinlan Schudrowitz as Orange absolutely blew me away. From the opening number "Empty" his voice brought a smile to my face. Every song he was a part of he nailed it. His stage presence with each character he meets was second to none. I really hope I get to see Quinlan on stage again soon. Amazing job!

Bella Costa as Purple and also narrates the story. Such a joy on stage and her rapping skills were on point. Bella had some great scenes with Quinlan and the two of them worked so well together. I loved her on "Empty" and she got to really shine on "Purple Song" .

Lucy Welsh as Yellow has a powerful voice and was able to show it off on "Every Morning". Lucy also has a very nice scene towards the end of the show with Orange and Purple.

Next up we have one of the first really funny moments of the show. Freshman Oakley Oss as Brown got to show off his singing and dancing skills during "Lumberjack Song" This is the first of many laugh out loud moments of the show. I got to chat a little with Oakley a little after the show. A very impressive young man who I could tell had such a blast doing this show.

Next up we have time for more laughs with Blake Storbakken as Red and his hilarious performance on "Really Exciting Dude". This song about the guys who just can't seem to understand how to rhyme is one of my favorites. Great comedic timing from Blake.

Abby Ahlstrom and Colby Magenau as White and Black are wonderful on "Ad Man and Dolly". This great song about a girl who wants to be the star of the show and the guy who speaks completely in radio & television ads is great. They both worked so well together.

Another truly funny moment was Mirko Drago as Neon Leon, the Richard Simmons-esque fitness instructor and his song "Neon Leon. This is a funny and super energetic song that had the audience bopping in their seats.

Last but certainly not least we have Ashtyn Auch as Green and her cheerleader assisted song "Charge, Charge, Charge" . Another fun and energy filled number.

The final song of the show features the entire cast on "Lost Children". All 18 members of this cast did such a wonderful job.

I know Patrick is very proud of these performers. When he first did this show Patrick was on stage, this time he actually got to sit back and just enjoy himself.

I have to give a shout out to my friends, and Grand Forks Central Teacher, Dr. Dave Tack as the "Announcer" in the show.

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew from Grand Forks Central High! I can't wait to see what you guys do next.

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