Curtain Up: Baldwin High School Students Perform First Musical In Over A Year
By Royce Jones
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - While in-person stage productions had the curtain fall during the pandemic, one high school class made a comeback this weekend.
Once upon a pandemic, students from Baldwin High School had dreams of performing again as concerts were canceled with some nearly missing their final performance.
"It was devastating we were so close to being able to perform. We were about three weeks out and everything got canceled and shut down," said Morgan Smeal, a sophomore.
But on Saturday night, before a spread-out audience, donning clear facemasks as part of their color medieval costumes, the lights burned once more for their student production of "Once Upon A Mattress."
It was their first performance in over a year.
"It's the musical version of Princess and the Pea," said Joe Joyce the director. "Kind of by way of the Cohen brothers. There's a very talkative queen and a mute king. They have a son who has not been married and they interview 12 girls and the 13th girl swings the moat, climbs the wall, and becomes his bride."
The cast has been rehearsing since January under extremely COVID-aware conditions with temperature checks before and masking during rehearsal.
It was challenging but well worth it for this storybook ending.
"I'm excited for the audience to be transported into a different time, laugh, cry, and have all the feels about what they're watching," said Alison Dallmus, a senior.
Two students are nominated for Gene Kelly Awards for their respective roles.
The show will run through May 1.