Garrettsville – Every year for as long as can be remembered, James A. Garfield High School has performed a spring musical. That was true until 2020, with the onset of a global pandemic leading to the cancellation of 2020’s show “The Sound of Music”. The continuation of COVID-19 in 2021 further delayed any production from JAG. Many of the regular performers were distraught that they were not able to have a show two years in a row, but they persevered and powered through. The loosened restrictions during the 2021-2022 school year made the prospect of putting on a show very likely, and what a show it turned out to be.
Director and Producer Joel Logan, who also teaches elementary school music, high school choir, and is the assistant band director for JAG High School, first announced the show in August of 2021. JAG theater fans from everywhere were relieved to find out that it would be business as usual this year and the show would be the familiar Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” And so it began. A marathon of preparation and practice. Hours and hours of rehearsal to put on a great performance for the audience.
Just like normal years, auditions for the show were held in early December and the cast list was pushed out a few weeks later. From that point on, it was a non-stop grind for the cast and crew. Closer and closer to that looming March 31st date, rehearsals amped up and up, to, at one point, being almost 7 days a week. We can all be sure that Logan and the cast and crew would not have it any other way, though.
Tickets were sold in advance online for the show, so the hype for it was immense, and it did not disappoint. All four shows were completely or nearly sold out, so the Iva Walker Auditorium was packed full of family members, friends, and whoever else decided to watch. As for the show itself, it was a masterpiece. It was not exactly the same, but very similar to the motion picture we all know that came out in 1989. One of the many things done right in this production was the inclusion of JAG students of many different ages. The cast was mostly high school students, but it also included middle and elementary school kids, who all worked together well. Among the lead roles were senior Kierstin Williams as Ariel, junior Jack Rado as Eric, senior Laurel Monroe as Ursula, sophomore Landen Gedeon as King Triton, sophomore Jack Carmichael as Sebastian, sophomore Aaron Rodhe as Scuttle, and freshman Aby Seiler as Flounder. Besides having iconic songs, the show was very entertaining as it was a great mix of being fast-paced and exciting, but also slowing down, while still keeping the audience engaged. It was easy to get sucked in like a poor unfortunate soul. The over two hour long show only felt like 30 minutes.
It was heartwarming to see the JAG theater department running as usual after a few years off, and I know we all appreciate the hard work the cast and crew put into the production. This past weekend highlighted the present and proved promising for the future of JAG theater.
