Sharon Community School to perform the musical April 4-5
By Heather Ruenz
Staff Writer
Wearing her purple glasses, the sassy and comical Junie B. Jones Jr. and her classmates, teachers and parents sing and dance their way through first grade.
Soon, members of the greater community will get be entertained as students from Sharon Community School take the stage at Big Foot High School in the musical.
Junie records her experiences and thoughts about first grade in her “Top Secret Personal Beeswax” journal. She learns about friendship and acceptance as she faces difficult obstacles and turns bad situations into good ones.
Mya Gonzalez, 11 and a fifth grader at SCS who was also in the school’s musical last year, plays the leading role of Junie B. Jones.
She predicts that the audience will enjoy the musical.
“They will like it and laugh. The school scenes are the funniest because there is sassiness and that’s funny,” Gonzalez said.
Her favorite songs are: Writing Down The Story Of My Life, When Life Gives You Lemons and You Can Be My Friend.
Gonzalez said the cast and crew was preparing to increase its rehearsals from four a week to five as the performance dates draw nearer.
“I’ve also been practicing at home – singing and my lines… sometimes in front of my parents but usually alone because they want to be surprised,” she said.
“My parents are really excited and my sisters like to sing the songs because they know them fro me practicing,” Gonzalez said.
So, does she get nervous about being center stage?
“Sometimes but I try to be positive,” Gonzalez said. “ I’ve had dreams that I forget all my lines. But when I do forget them I try to find a way to fit them back in and am usually able to.”
Gonzalez said she plans to do theater in middle and high school and said in addition to singing she has a passion for sports, particularly soccer and basketball.
Playing the role of Junie’s “Mother” is Gianna Webster, 13, an eighth grader at Sharon Community.
“My favorite part is where she gives the cow a can and it hurts her toe and I tell her she’s going to be OK,” Webster said.
In addition to choosing the Writing and Lemons songs, Webster’s third favorite song is Top Secret Personal Beeswax.
Webster, who was also in last year’s musical, said she’s really enjoying it.
“Doing musicals is pretty neat, especially on the big stage. I love performing here (at Big Foot High School),” she said.
She said her grandma has been helping her practice and in addition to theater Webster is involved in band, choir, volleyball, track and student council.
Webster said she thinks the audience will laugh a lot at Junie B. Jones.
“There are a lot of funny parts… it’s telling the life of a fifth grader,” she said.
Eighth grader Ashley Miller is a very active member of the crew behind the scenes and holds the title of stage manager.
“We did all the props. My dad made the boxes – there are 14 of them. I had a general idea of what she (Ms. Brandt, the director) wanted so I drew them, showed them to her and she liked them, and I painted them,” she said.
Miller said her dad, Adam Perkins, bought the supplies and donated it to the school and he’s the perfect man for the job of building props.
“He makes cabinets and other things so knows what he’s doing and that helps a lot,” she said.
In addition to the boxes, Miller said she drew the backdrop that looks like a notebook and the school bus.
“And I made cookies for a treat during rehearsal,” she added.
Miller, who also served as stage manager for last year’s musical, said she plans to stay involved next year at Big Foot.
“My siblings did it, too. I like doing fun, artsy things. Everyone in musicals are fun people, fun to be around and they have a positive energy,” she said.
Junie B. Jones, presented by Sharon Community School, will be performed in the auditorium at Big Foot High School at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 4 and again at 7 p.m., Friday, April 5. Tickets are $5 a person, free for children younger than 5.
See a complete listing of the cast and crew and more photos in the March 28 Sharon Reporter.
