Jekyll & Hyde, the musical

My theatre department at work just opened our annual musical. This year we are doing Jekyll & Hyde. I first had the privilege of being a part of this musical in 1990, when it premiered at The Alley Theatre in Houston. I went on to become a theatre teacher & this is the 2nd time I have produced this show at the Jersey Village High School. The music, composed by Frank Wildhorn, is beautiful & moving. This show has everything: romance, drama, action, ...everything. These shots are from the last two dress rehearsals, & true to form, we were not yet done creating the show. Details like unfinished scenic painting & costume details are not yet done, but they still give you an idea of what the show is like. We have had a great time, even when both the female leads were sick, throwing up between scenes, during the first week run of the show, they still managed to get out on stage & give it their all. VERY AMAZING from such young people! These teenagers could be spending their free time doing a million things other than staying late at school to work on a show, but they are there, working hard, making mistakes, putting themselves out on a limb to be judged & criticized by those who have nothing else to do, and what they get in return is respect for their courage, their talent, and their stamina. They are kind, open hearted, and vibrant! These are the young people who will be leaders one day, & they leave me with great hope for the future. Thank you to my Batman crew, & especially to my stage manager Lexi & her team of assistants. You are my Avengers!

 Costume fittings are just one drop in the bucket of all the various aspects of theatrical production. We also build the sets, paint, hang & focus the lights, create props & special effects, & much more.

 Organizing & calling cues from headsets backstage to the booth, & creating live music from two keyboards by the amazing John Branch & his accompanist, Miss Anita, are two more things that are part of producing a musical.

 Just a peak backstage to check on my actors waiting to make their entrance.

 Meet Lexi, my amazing stage manager, & her assistant stage managers. They are my Avengers!

GREASE!

We are half way through the run of our musical for this year at Jersey Village High School. As the director I get to do a lot of wonderful things, artistically speaking, and as a teacher I get to work with lots of wonderful young talent. The coolest part is, that we never know who will actually pursuer this field as a career and maybe one day become a household name. I often tell my students that we competed against Renee Zellweger in the One-Act Play competition during her high school years & still have the flier listing all the students' names, including hers. Joseph Kahn is a product of our program, prior to my arrival, and still visits, generously offering his wisdom in the business as a film & video director. Who knew back then what they would become...and maybe one of the kids in these pictures will be next.

As a photographer I get to shoot productions, honing my skills and providing free head shots & portfolio images for my students. I can tell you, after shooting theatrical production for years, that shooting weddings is no more challenging, maybe even easier, than live theatre! Speaking of weddings, I will be shooting two next month, among my scheduled sessions & look forward to the awesome fall weather for the location wedding, as well as the night shoot for the local wedding. Our next production at JVHS? To Kill A Mockingbird. Stay tuned to my blog for images from both! Enjoy these shots & leave a note to let me know you were here :)