Edina High School - Whigrean Yearbook (Edina, MN)

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1. When the curtain opens, the nuns commence with their Alleluias. 2. Tho empty set stands desolate after a tong day of rehearsals. 3. Thirty minutes before curtain, the actors gather m front of the mirors. to put on makeup for the night's perlormance. 4. The vonTrapp children stand at attention, awaiting dismissal. 5. Looking towards the mountains. Maria wonders about her future. 6. Adding a touch of gray. Kay Vermeer assists Bill Leskee in the makeup room before the performance. FALL PLAY 21

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The Sound Of Music The halls were alive with the Sound of Music, this year’s fall musical. Students anticipated the performances for weeks, anxious to see their friends portray the characters from a favorite movie classic. Aware of everyone’s high expectations. those involved worked hard to insure success. Coordinating this difficult task were Darwin Missling, choral director James Peterson, set director and orchestra conductor, and Malcom Warren, stage director. The main characters were portrayed by Kathy Kane (Maria). Bill Leskee (Captain vonTrapp). Lori Stotts (the Baroness). Mark Carlson (Max Detweiler), Shari Huber (Mother Abbess). and Jeff Vanderplaats (Rolf Gruber). The vonTrapp children were played by Jill Widell, John Dougherty, Ann Fisher, Doug Weber, Dawn Ringling, Sue Strothman, and Pam Mitchell. With the exception of junior Jill Widell, and sophmores Dawn Ringling and Ann Fisher, the children were recruited from the junior high. Adding to the production were choir members, who served as nuns, and the orchestra. Rehearsals were held every day for a month, lasting from two to six hours. As a result of the publicity and hard work, the performances were well attended. Judging by the response of the audience, the actors did an effective job in capturing the mood of the story. One woman in the audience remarked. ‘‘The wedding scene was so beautiful. I cried. The costumes were bought from Rag Stock, Inc. The majority of the cast had never been there, so they found it to be a unique experience to rummage though the innumerable barrels and racks. This saved hundreds of dollars. To break the montony of long rehearsals. the cast dealt in a variety of practical jokes. The set crew, for example. removed a board from Maria’s bed so when all the kids sat down, it collapsed. They also changed props to surprise and confuse the actors. An effective prankster was Mark Carlson, who shocked the group by coming on stage without his pants, although he was wearing a trench coat. Moments such as these broke the tension and created a more relaxed atmosphere. Pam Mitchell, who portrayed Gretl. laughed and said, Being together so much made us really feel like a family. 20 FALL PLAY

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Concert Band members and parents teamed their efforts to produce a fantastic 1979 Pops Concert. In addition to four stunning performances, the troupe presented a benefit concert for senior citizens and the handicapped which was subsidized by local businesses. Band members disregarded everything but Pops during the weeks of preparation for the concert. Mrs. El-ledge conducted the tryouts at her home before Christmas vacation. Roles were cast on the basis of talent and personality. Students choreographed their own numbers at the rehearsals which were held four times a week for four to five hours a session. Practicing wasn’t the only hard work, as set construction, publicity, script writing, and obtaining costumes were all obstacles to be overcome. “Procession of Nobles opened the concert and was followed by such classics as “Mayflower Overture. “Radio Rag. “The Planets. IV Move-ment-Jupiter. and “Grand Serenard For an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion.” in which the horn section played their mouthpieces. “The Blues Roar” received thunderous applause as did the Stage Band conducted by Chuck Smith which featured Chuck Elledge on drums. After intermission, the audience was jetted to New York for an exciting tour of Broadway, dramatically guided by Todd Peterson. “Pajama Game” was first on the agenda followed by I Do. I Do. Sugar.” and “Grease. Several lead singers amazed their peers in the audience with their previously, hidden vocal talent. The Concert Band's enthusiasm was evident as each performer sang his or hear heart out while putting on a fantastic show. While relieved to be through with the exhaustive rehearsals and the tedious weeks of preparation, most band members felt that it ended too quickly.