The week of the much anticipated Spring Musical Revue arrived among the flurry of events during the last weeks of the school year. While the theatrical performances at Deerfield are typically met with enthusiasm and support, this production has garnered abnormally more. Songs from many eras of musical theater are performed, as this production is “a synthesis of all the performing arts,” described Theater Director Catriona Hynds.
This Revue, directed by Mrs. Hynds and Theatre Teaching Fellow Adaire Robinson, has something for everyone, and it allows all types of performers to participate.
Quinn Soucy ’19 expressed that she was never able to participate in theater because of her commitment to dance, but the Musical Revue gave her the opportunity to do both. Now, she is able to continue to improve as a dancer while developing her acting skills as she scored an unexpected monologue in “Cell Block Tango” from the musical Chicago.
The Revue also allowed students who participate more frequently in theater to broaden their understanding of musical theater. Students are able to witness musical theater’s evolution through the decades from classics like “Do You Hear the People Sing” to Les Misérables to “My Shot” from Hamilton. The complexity of this Revue required all performers to be constantly focused during rehearsals and connect with their various characters to create a multi-dimensional production.
While audiences may be awed by the intricate dances and sequence of performances, there is more to the Revue than meets the eye. The creative team behind this Revue has not missed the opportunity to add layers of meaning to well-known songs.
During her interview, Mrs. Hynds hinted that the Revue has “a little more political bite.” She added, “We are making some subtle (and some not so subtle) commentary with some of these beautiful old musical pieces.”
While the original message for this Revue centered around the seniors as they prepared for college and left Deerfield, the directors soon decided it was more important to speak about issues in modern society, from immigration laws to political corruption to cultural stereotypes. They aimed to use this production as a medium to draw light to those problems and start a conversation amongst all vivvewers.
Maddie Wasson ‘18, who has been part of every theatrical production this year, said, “I think that this is a really fitting way for me to end my time at Deerfield. The performances in this production are proof of how much I’ve grown.” Having made new connections with some of the characters she played,
Wasson encouraged audience members to come to this production with an open mind: “Don’t look for the shows within the numbers — allow them to be up for interpretation.”
With all the work and time dedicated to this show, both the directors and performers were excited to reveal it to the Deerfield community. And the Revue, as hoped, received outstanding reception from the community, with full shows and high praise.