The Wedding Singer and its Success

School theater is one of the most unique aspects of any high school. Some schools let almost anyone in and have a team of people ready for anything, while others struggle to find student performers and do not offer shows altogether. Some schools are also highly selective with their performing arts programs, keeping out students who want to participate. For Bow High School, our theater department used to be this way. In the spring of 2022, auditions were announced for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a cute, playful musical based around a 6th-grade spelling bee. When auditions concluded, only 11 out of 22 students who auditioned got cast in the production, and around 200 tickets (in total) were sold. However, since that show, the theater program at Bow has undergone a major renaissance. This year, The Wedding Singer had a cast of 21 students and sold a record-breaking 700+ tickets! The show has once again brought light to Bow High School’s theater department, illustrating how everyone can be a part of the performing arts. The Wedding Singer also had a unique circumstance; most of the ensemble members had never participated in a musical before, and a large majority were stepping onto the stage for the first time. “I went into the musical with little knowledge of how to sing or dance but found it extremely accommodating, with countless others in my situation as well. I got to meet these students and we could laugh about the struggles of learning something new. Ultimately, the friendship and companionship that grew was closer than anything else I’ve been a part of. Together we put on a great show, and I’ll be sure to come back next year,” states junior Cole Cochrane. Other new ensemble members felt a similar way. “Being a part of the production was definitely my favorite high school experience. It was so amazing to be a part of something that was filled with such fantastic people!” says senior Kristen Perry. As one of the supporting leads myself (I played the role of George), it was an amazing experience to be a part of! For those who don’t know me, I have been doing theater since I was 10 years old. I have auditioned and been cast in all of the shows the school has offered, as well as having performed in over 25 productions (and a few professional shows) outside of Bow High School. Despite my experience, I have never felt such a strong connection with a group of people I would have never expected to perform with. School theater is one of the prime examples of the magic of high school students; amid academics, athletics, and other commitments, the student performers manage to put in countless hours and have so much fun, all while putting on an amazing show and creating lasting memories. The increased diversity of the felt such a strong connection with a group of people I would have never expected to perform with. School theater is one of the prime examples of the magic of high school students; amid academics, athletics, and other commitments, the student performers manage to put in countless hours and have so much fun, all while putting on an amazing show and creating lasting memories. The increased diversity of the program is another incredible aspect of the performing arts at Bow. Back when I was a freshman, the majority of the cast members only participated in shows as their main extracurricular, and we all knew each other through our performing arts classes. During rehearsals for The Wedding Singer, I got to meet so many new people from numerous backgrounds I would have never expected to want to do theater! I also got to know so many seniors, and it warmed my heart to know how much fun they had. Multiple members of the ensemble were on the varsity lacrosse teams, and cast members Gavin and Ryan McCabe were captains this season! “I had an absolutely incredible experience with The Wedding Singer. It was the most fun, exciting event I’ve done at Bow in my 3 years here. All of the people involved, from cast to crew, spent so much time working hard to make this show the best it can be. We had so many people on opening night, it was amazing to see the hard work pay off on the stage with a packed and excited audience. That certainly didn’t come without a lot of sacrifices. Balancing theater with sports was definitely quite challenging. It’s not something the school allows you to do with ease. I would go from school to lacrosse practice, then right over to rehearsals. I wouldn’t get home until 9:30 on most nights. I had to leave early from a lot of lacrosse practices and even missed one of the biggest games of the season for opening night. Many don’t realize how much work, time, and sacrifice it takes to create a strong production. But for me, it was so incredibly worth it. I had so much fun doing theater this year. My only regret is that I didn’t start sooner!” states Ryan. “Balancing multiple extracurricular activities is already challenging. So the addition of AP testing during tech week of The Wedding Singer coupled with lacrosse was certainly a lot, but it was also extremely rewarding. The busy schedule forced me to be disciplined in order to ensure my success in every activity I partake in. While it was a challenging time, I enjoyed the busy schedule as I feel I proved to myself I really can do it all,” states Gavin. For Levi Furr (Robbie Hart), theater helped him find his way in life and is now going to guide him into his future acting career. “The overall theater community in Bow made me feel confident enough to actually pursue this for a living”. Once the show concluded, it was extremely well-received by audience members, who loved the upbeat energy, astonishing talent, and getting to watch their friends and family per form. Everyone was super sad to finally close the curtain on this show, and the experience will forever hold a place in my (and every cast/crew member’s) heart. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the performing arts at Bow!