NORWICH – By all accounts, last year’s “Phantom of the Opera” would be a hard act to follow for the kids in the Norwich high school musical club. And if their enthusiasm for “Aida” is any indication, this weekend’s string of performances will have audiences asking, “Phantom who?”
“We had such a great show last year, but this year is even better,” claims NHS senior Joshua Mahannah, who plays Nubian slave Mereb in this weekend’s show. “It’s got a great cast, great lighting, great sets ... just a lot of incredible talent.”
Mahannah’s praise for the show is shared by Director Mark Sands, who said he fell in love with the Disney musical when he saw it on Broadway a decade ago. “I was just waiting for it to be released for school performances,” the longtime NHS director said. Which it was, two years ago. But by then, Sands had already decided to stage “Les Miserables.” He came close to choosing it again last year, but went with “Phantom” instead. “It’s funny the way things work out, because the leads for ‘Les Mis’ and ‘Phantom’ were perfect for those shows. As I was watching Wednesday evening’s dress rehearsal, it hit me that once again, the leads for ‘Aida’ are perfectly suited for their roles.”
In a nutshell, the musical is set in ancient Egypt, where a warrior captain, Radames (Dillan Smith), has just returned from a scouting expedition, having captured a number of Nubian slaves – among them the willful and beautiful Aida (Breanna Guiffre). Radames is betrothed to the Pharaoh’s selfish daughter, Amneris (Mallory Norton), but of course falls in forbidden love with Aida instead.
“This is a very emotional part,” said Smith of the romantic lead, Radames. The senior singer admits to having been in tears on stage for much of the last few weeks. “But Breanna and I have a great chemistry together,” Smith said, “we feel very comfortable together on stage.” It’s not just the star-crossed love story that’s got Smith in tears – this is also the last Tornado stage play for him and many of his co-stars. “That really adds to it,” he said.
Guiffre couldn’t agree more. In her eighth musical on the Norwich stage, the senior has finally nabbed her leading role – and it’s a demanding one. “It’s certainly rewarding,” she said, “finally being able to show everything that I’m capable of doing.” Guiffre credits director Sands and vocal coaches Mary Mayo and Meena Conant with giving her the tools she needs to nail “Aida” and to pursue musical theater in college next year. “I really do feel well prepared,” Guiffre said, eschewing the notion that her small-town upbringing would find her behind the pack in the big leagues. “I actually feel like I’ve got a step up on a lot of the kids out there,” she said of her NHS experience.
Of course, every romantic heroine needs a foil – and senior Mallory Norton provides that in spades as the self-absorbed fashionista, Amneris. “She’s completely obsessed with fashion and accessories when we first meet her,” Norton says of her princess character. “But she matures once she finds out what’s going on behind her back with Radames and Aida,” she continued, noting her favorite solo comes in the second act’s “I Know the Truth.”
While Amneris is more comic relief, the real Disney-style mustache-twirling is provided by Radames’ father, the scheming Zoser, played by senior Justin Sawyer. “He’s just a bad, bad guy,” Sawyer says of his character’s plot to poison the Pharaoh. Sawyer’s more accustomed to playing the aforementioned comic relief: “I looked at the script and there really weren’t any comedic parts for guys,” he said, fearlessly tackling the nasty Zoser anyway. “I like that I get to show a lot more of what I have to deliver in the part.”
The cast and crew of “Aida” have been working since January on the production, building sets, arranging costumes, learning their lines and, most importantly, tackling the Broadway-sized musical score, composed by the famous duo of Elton John and Tim Rice. “Elton John is one of my favorite composers and it’s been fun working on his music,” Sands said. “If you’re an Elton John fan and don’t know this show, you don’t want to miss ‘Aida’ this weekend because the music is amazing,” he said, adding that the score encompasses several different genres including Reggae, Gospel and Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Sawyer said audiences can expect “a little bit of everything – great story, new lighting, lots of cool dancing and the songs are incredible.”
Perhaps Norton summed up the pre-show hype for “Aida” the best: “This show is going to give ‘Phantom’ a run for its money.”
Performances are set for tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in the Norwich High School auditorium. All tickets are $5 general admission and are available at the main offices of Stanford Gibson, Perry Browne and Norwich High School as well as Service Pharmacy in Norwich. Tickets will also be available at the door before each performance. For more information, contact Sands at 334-1600 x3153.