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Beauty and the Beast returns to the stage

Peter Skene Ogden Secondary’s Drama Club is set to perform April 19 to 23.
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The PSO Drama Club is hard at work rehearsing for their production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. (Melissa Smalley photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

The show must go on - and it will, thanks to the hard work and flexibility of drama students and staff at Peter Skene Ogden Secondary.

After being forced to postpone Disney’s Beauty and the Beast earlier this year, the PSO Drama Club is back in action prepping to take the stage with the classic musical next month.

Stepping into the director’s shoes is PSO staff member Nicki Jackson, who said she is thrilled that the teens will get a chance to show off their hard work April 19 to 23.

“There have been a lot of hiccups along the way, and we’ve had to figure some things out,” Jackson said. “But the kids have been just amazing, they’re putting their heart and soul into this production.”

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome has been scheduling, Jackson said. The drama club ran as a class during school hours in the fall semester. Since the performance dates were pushed back, however, rehearsals had to be moved to after school and weekend time slots.

While the change did result in the loss of a few cast members, Jackson said the teens who remained on board have rallied to make the production even better than planned.

“They have really taken everything in stride, and they’ve been really great at catching me up to speed,” Jackson said.

Additional help from other staff members at the school and parents has helped to ease some of the tasks - such as costumes, choreography and music direction - that students had on their plates.

“Now those students can just focus on putting on a great show,” Jackson said.

The show is set to run at the 100 Mile Community Hall nightly at 7 p.m. from April 19 to 23, with a matinee on the Saturday.

The club is looking forward to a final few weeks of rehearsal before they will set up the hall for performances. Jackson said they have opted to use digital sets via a projector and screen to help simplify what they will need to built and paint in the hall.

“We weren’t going to have the time to build everything and paint it and get all the various sets ready, so that has really helped us,” she said, noting the club’s tech crew will be trained on how to use the sound and light equipment by members of the 100 Mile Performing Arts Society.

More information about ticket sales will be available in early April, Jackson said.



melissa,smalley@100milefreepress.net

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Melody Watkins, as Belle, rehearses the opening scene of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with supporting cast members. (Melissa Smalley photo - 100 Mile Free Press)