By Heather Ruenz
Staff Writer
The Elkhorn Area High School encourages members of the greater community to see Peter Pan and join Peter, Wendy, Michael and John in the high-flying adventure that aims to whisk attendees away to a place where dreams are born and no one ever grows up.
Elkhorn Area High School will present the musical at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, April 5 and 6 in the James A. Wehner Auditorium at the school.
Based on J.M. Barrie’s classic book and the original 1954 Broadway production directed and staged by Jerome Robbins and starring Mary Martin, Peter Pan features an unforgettable score by Morris “Moose” Charlap and Jule Styne with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
Showcasing the iconic songs “I’m Flying,” “I’ve Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up,” and “Never Never Land,” and a rousing book full of magic, warmth, and adventure, Peter Pan is likely one of the most beloved and frequently performed family favorites of all time.
Jacqueline Siedenburg-Sis, who plays the leading role of Peter Pan in EAHS’ production, said she’s been involved in countless productions through the Summer Elk Players Program, Lakeland Players Theatre and the high school drama department itself.
She estimates she’s been part of roughly 13 productions thus far and said she loves the challenge Peter Pan presented her with.
“I’ve really had to step out of my comfort zone and become a character very opposite my natural self. Peter takes up so much space and doesn’t hold back. I nearly feel like I’ve become more like him off the stage too. I’m not crowing with absolute confidence, but I’m getting more and more into character. It’s a really magical experience,” Siedenburg-Sis said.
She said she is very fortunate to have grown up in a musical home with a lot of resources, allowing her to put in additional practice.
“It’s been very easy to practice at home. I’ve also received plenty of support from my family.
Siedenburg-Sis said she’s always felt a strong pull toward theatre, so would ideally like to continue acting in the future.
“There’s no other experience that has made me quite feel the way the theatre does. If acting does not work, I still intend on staying connected to music and theatre in the future,” she said.
Social media marketing has also been of large consideration for Siedenburg-Sis and she said anyone interested in staying connected to the local theatres may be interested to know she runs Instagram pages for both the high school theatre and Lakeland Players.
In preparing to present Peter Pan, she said there’s an immense amount of appreciation to be had for the directors, cast, and crew.
“I’m so proud of the work everyone has put into the show, and I can’t wait to whisk the audience away to Neverland,” Siedenburg-Sis said.
Amber Glassel, in addition to playing a pirate in Peter Pan, also serves as student director. This will be her eighth production at the high school but like Siedenburg-Sis, Glassel has also been heavily involved in the community theatre and I have been a part of theatre overall since she was 4 years old.
“If you can’t find me, you can guarantee I am somewhere in a theatre,” Glassel said.
In Peter Pan, she said the pirate she plays tends to have a bit off sass but she can be quite ditzy as well.
“I am always faithful to our leader Captain Hook, but my pirate is deathly afraid of the crocodile,” Glassel said.
Her favorite song in Peter Pan is actually one that she is not involved in called “I’m Flying,” which she said makes you feel like anything is possible and that one day you can fly too.
Glassel said it’s hard to pinpoint any one scene the audience will particularly enjoy but rather, she predicts they’ll appreciate the entire production.
“Whether it is reliving childhood memories of watching Peter Pan or dancing along to new songs you have never heard, the audience is sure to love every moment,” she said.
In her role as student director, Glassel said not only is she helping the show come together overall, but she’s enjoyed working with all the actors, including trying to help them discover who their character really is.
“Also getting to work with the stage managers and all the backstage people has been extremely interesting trying to correlate a set and to tie everything together,” she said. “My overall favorite part is working with everyone to make a show. A show could never be done if only one person was doing it. I’m so thankful for our wonderful stage managers, crews, actors, and directors; they make my job fun,” Glassel said.
In the fall she plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to study Fine Arts with a Theatre Emphasis and Music Education.
“I hope one day to be a stage manager or an elementary music teacher, I am so passionate about both it is quite hard to decide what my career will be,” Glassel said.
Tickets for Peter Pan are $7 in advance, $8 at the door or $9 online at classmunity.com/elkhornwi.
