On Friday evening, Nov. 21, and Saturday evening, Nov. 22, the Rocky Point Middle School presented successful and memorable performances of its school musical, “Seussical Jr.” The annual Middle School Musical production brought together 112 students, 10 teachers and countless family and community members for a successful collaboration of high-quality theater and joyful music making. 

Rehearsals started in September with students learning their roles, songs, dances and blocking. In October, rehearsals continued and cast members and their families attended a Family Volunteer Day to help build sets, costumes and props. Family and cast members came with glue guns, scissors and sewing machines to make miracles happen. So much of the magic on stage came from the students’ parents donating their own time.  

In November, stage crew and tech crew joined rehearsals. The tech crew continued to demonstrate their skill and professionalism as they managed the lighting and sound needs of the production under the direction of tech adviser Andy Cooper. Joseph Gabrinowitz, Seth Meier and Anthony Nobre created beautiful set pieces, and the student-run stage crew helped to bring the vibrant magic of “Seussical Jr.” to life. During after-school rehearsals, the High School cosmetology students, under the direction of Ms. Brittany Antici and Mrs. Maran Bouton, applied their skills to help the students with their hair and stage makeup.  

The week of the show, “Tech Week,” was extremely busy for all students involved! It started with the traditional trip to the Joseph A. Edgar School, where members of the Middle School cast performed for all the students and faculty in two assemblies. These “teaser” performances generated a strong level of interest from the JAE students, not only to attend the weekend performance, but also to get involved in the musical when they become Middle School students. The busy week continued with a performance for the FJC students and staff, who walked over to the High School to see the performance in the auditorium. The auditorium and hallways were buzzing with excitement on Friday and Saturday nights for the shows. These weekend performances were a rousing success, performed to sold-out houses that erupted with applause and standing ovations for both nights. 

“This is one of my favorite shows to direct, and I could not have asked for a better cast, crew, or production team to bring all of these classic Dr. Seuss stories to life!” Middle School Musical Director, Vocal Coach and Choreographer Jessica Spitz said. “This show has tons of music that the students worked tirelessly to learn, which included complex choreography and difficult vocal harmonies. We had parents and siblings volunteer their time on our annual Family Volunteer Day to create the unique costumes and scenery, including our clover field of 250 individual clovers! Our tech crew learned to use the brand-new lighting board (with some new special effects). It was so much fun and truly a celebration of what teamwork and community can accomplish! Bravo to all involved!” 

A congratulatory message from Rocky Point secondary Music Department Chairperson Ms. Amy Schecher read: “The students and staff involved in this production worked tremendously hard to put together this musical. We are beyond fortunate to have such talented students and an incredibly dedicated faculty here in Rocky Point. It’s amazing how all the moving parts work collaboratively to put on a successful production. What may appear to those in the audience as something seamless could not happen without all the effort and detailed organization that goes into this. A production of this magnitude also could not be possible without the encouragement of the parents of the cast and crew. We are very thankful that the Rocky Point School District Administration and Board of Education support these endeavors for the students and the music department. Congratulations to all!” 

“It is such an amazing treat to see what my former students can accomplish in the one to three years after they leave the JAE School,” Rocky Point Elementary Music Department Chairperson Craig Knapp added. “The growth and development of the students is extraordinary and their performance was stellar. Witnessing my former students on the stage performing with such artistry and independence fills me with a deep level of pride. The entire production was exceptional. My heartfelt congratulations to all involved!”