There's nothing like an old fashioned Broadway musical and St. Mary's fantastic production of 'Guys and Dolls' presented by their performing arts department makes everything right with the world. This classic fable of gamblers, showgirls, sinners, and evangelists has been on Broadway four times but never performed on the Great White Way by elementary school students. Watching this professional and dazzling production, it was hard to believe the actors were only children singing and dancing their hearts out. With such melodic gems as 'Luck Be A Lady,' 'Bushel and a Peck,' and 'I'll Know,' this musical fantasy is timeless!

The two performances of Shrek are over, I graduated from elementary school and now I'm off for the summer.   I have so many great memories of 5th grade but I think being a part of the play was the high point of my school year.  Some of the rehearsals seemed long but the school year really seemed to fly by once I was cast in Shrek.  It's weird to think that it's over, that I'll be in middle school in September.  I hope I get to do a play there as well.

After our final rehearsal for the play, Shrek, I was told to write some stuff down so I could think about what it was like and what I might have learned.  I'm sad that it's almost over.  I'm going to miss play practice so much.  It was so much fun.  I dance and perform in dance recitals each year but this is the only time I will be in Shrek with these people.  

We are close to the night of the show, the costumes have arrives and this whole week has been a dress rehearsal.  Thursday afternoon is our last rehearsal and it won't be a dress, we will just run through the show.  Friday is opening night!

Today at play practice, the girl who plays Shrek had to practice with a pillow strapped to her dress. She will be wearing one for the show to appear as an oversized ogre, so the teachers wanted her to get used to it. Her costume will be over the pillow to make it look more natural. I thought she looked weird, but she said she was glad to have something to lean on.

Exactly three weeks before "Shrek" goes up in front of an audience, we ran through the entire first act. The show was fine until we reached the "What's up Duloc" number that I'm in. It is still, even after weeks of practice, a complete and utter mess. I'm worried that the dance won't be ready to perform come show time. 

With less than a month before "Shrek" makes its debut, we have doubled our rehearsal time. We have also had many more morning rehearsals to clean the dances. So far all of the morning rehearsals are for the Duloc performance. The Duloc number is still shaky. Our music teacher also plays the piano faster than the recorded music we rehearse to. Therefore, we are usually late for certain parts.

Just as I predicted, we were called for a special rehearsal of the Duloc number the day after chorus ended.  We learned almost all of the second half of the number. The next day, at our weekly rehearsal, we practiced the Duloc number again while blocking the show. When we tried, everything we had learned in the morning practice had gone out the window. We remembered the steps, we just couldn't remember the order. It didn't help that the girl playing Lord Farquaad was absent. She yells out words like "Boom!" "Bam!" "Pow!" Each word has a step happening at the same time. The words help us remember when each step happens and which step we have to do.

This week at practice we ran through the entire first act. Most of the time there was at least thirty people backstage just talking and laughing. Our principal, who is also the show's director, was extremely angry that all we did backstage was talk. She said we have to use that time to practice our dances and lines. 

Today I had play practice or as the teachers call it "Theater Arts."  We practice every Friday for three hours after school.  I attend PS 196 in Queens and the play we are putting on is "Shrek, The Musical."  The entire practice, a man took photos of us for a behind the scenes photo loop that will be projected on the stage before the performance on the nights we present the play in June.  

Rock out with First Stage this March when BIG NATE: THE MUSICAL blasts through the Todd Wehr Theater. A dynamic young performer cast recreates Lincoln Peirce's popular cartoon characters set in Kristen Ellhert's magical stage design where lights flash, videos display Nate's drawings and sets swing from classroom to home in mere seconds.