Sister Act graces LaRue County’s stage with a great turn out.

Sister Act stunned the stage and screen for decades, and has earned a place in many people’s hearts.  When the high school drama community decided to take on this iconic musical, a few people were skeptical. Even with taking on the monumental task, the musical had a great turn out for all of its community shows. Guests laughed out loud, were shocked by the twists and turns of the plot, and listened to some of Larue County’s best high school talent. All around, the musical was a big success, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Both directors, Mrs. Tucker and Mrs. Cecil, told me about the months of practice the students had to commit to in order to produce the amazing play. Auditions were held in November, music passed out in December, and group practice started in January. It has been a four month process to create the musical we have been able to enjoy. One of the struggles leading up to the play were the multiple scheduling conflicts. Larue County missed weeks of school after winter break due to weather which had a huge impact on practice time. Snow hasn’t been the only problem unfortunately; many of the students involved in the musical are busy with jobs, sports, and other extracurricular activities. Despite these setbacks, the cast and directors pushed through and created a show worth remembering.

This musical has also pushed many students into new territory. It is in stark contrast to the musicals done in the past with very similar plots. There is a healthy mix of humor so adults and teenagers can enjoy the musical together. The music varies often and keeps the audience engaged with layering in group songs and dramatic solos. Mrs. Tucker said that the music for this musical was a good challenge for the students. Many widened their range, worked with new genres, and had to have the discipline to practice in their own time for the many musical numbers. Students also had a choreographer, Bridgett Skaggs, to teach them dance numbers and movements to make the musical more fluid. Larue County students really had to push themselves in their musicality, coordination, as well as acting to put on this difficult musical.

One of the reasons this play was selected was to address the many students who wanted to participate. Students varied across all grades, even including some middle school help. Kylee Thurman played the lead in the musical and owned her role as Deloris Van Cartier. Alexia Trumbo, Isaac Johnson, Haley Evans, and Christian Silva also played important characters. When I asked about break out roles and actors for students to look out for, Mrs. Cecil told me about Taylor Metcalf’s solo in the second act saying, “It will give you goosebumps.” She also said the boys, Isaac Johnson, Christian Silva, Luis Serrano, Dalton Bell, and Ethan Johnson are very entertaining on stage and work well together. It’s evident that there is no shortage of talent here in Larue. There was a lot of help off-stage as well. Elena Cecil and Ashlen Grubbs worked with the actors for set and costume changes. Middle school students, Sage Garris and Stephanie Whiteman, helped with lighting and sound cues alongside senior Clay Rogers and, Larue County High School alum, Ethan Wood. With amazing actors and lots of help, it’s no wonder this play turned out so well.

While this play did challenge our school, the hard work really paid off.  This musical teaches us to believe in ourselves and accept one another for who we are. Both directors felt that this message was important to express to our community. Of course there were big laughs and beautiful music, but a bigger meaning was still able to be translated on the stage.