The Pitfalls and the Curtain Calls

From stunning debuts to rave reviews, the last musical of the year did not disappoint. The cast and crew of Wakeland’s “Once Upon a Mattress” spent countless hours rehearsing and entertained the Wakeland student body and community. But, take a look behind the curtain to see what it took to get this production to the stage

The rigorous rehearsal schedule began October 2019, and has continued to keep students busy. “Typically, I’ll say we rehearse from about 4:30 to 6:30 Monday through Thursday,” director Jonette Dalfonzo said. 

The rehearsal schedule only got longer closer to show date. The time commitment itself is a lot, but the work done during these rehearsals is the real behind the scenes story.

The dancing is a huge reason the musical was so entertaining. The musical itself was two hours and was no easy feat exercise wise. Students must learn to move their bodies while singing and projecting. This is a difficult task that does not always come naturally. 

“You have to know that some of them have taken dance class, and some have never taken dance before,” choreographer Michael Alonzo said.

“Probably, the most difficult thing for me, was just getting out of my own head, and just being able to rely on muscle memory that I have created during rehearsals”, actor Matthew Reno said.

Another major part of the musical is the technicians who work their own type of magic. They build the set and work the lights and sound.

 “ Finishing the set was one of the hardest parts because on the last day we were still painting and everything, and trying to get that done was one of the most exciting experiences of this year”, technician Alex Titesworth said.

The work that goes into a production like this is astounding and guarantees that the performances were definitely no snooze fest.