Albion students will perform a farce of a high school musical

‘Just Another High School Music’ features improv and comedy

Photos by Tom Rivers – Elijah Van Epps does a Tom Jones routine while Zach Shaffer is the magician David Copperfield, two characters in Albion High School’s latest drama production, “Just Another High School Musical.”

ALBION – The annual fall musical at Albion High School will keep the audience in stitches.

“We wanted to do a farce,” said Gary Simboli, the musical’s director.

Twenty-two students are in the cast and 12 are in stage crew. They created their own blocking and choreography for “Just Another High School Musical,” a show where students are forced to improv because their director abandons the show, leaving students to perform in front of live audience without a director.

Jenna Reigle, left, and Char Olick lead the cast in one of the numbers.

Albion students take the lead with parts of the show, but Simboli provides plenty of guidance and instruction.

“I like the challenge and the fast pace,” Simboli said today during the final rehearsal before the show on Friday and Saturday. There are shows at 7 p.m. both days, plus a noon performance on Saturday at the middle school auditorium.

“Every single student gets their moment when they are genuinely funny,” Simboli said.

At the close of the first act, David Stilwell, left, and Kyle Thaine sing “Intermission.”

Students get to play contemporary high schoolers, and work on their acting and choregraphy.

Simboli says he likes to try more contemporary shows for the fall musical. In the spring, he picks many Broadway classics. The school this spring will perform “The Wiz.”

In one of the sillier scenes, three boys — William Pecorella, Zach Shaffer and Elijah Van Epps — do a spoof on “Little Women.”