Just before Thanksgiving Break, a cast of 13 middle schoolers and 7 high school musicians staged the final performances of Peabody: A Musical for their fellow students and the community, under the direction of HVS alum Solomon Bergquist ’20 with musical direction from Rachel Loshak, Music Program Director.
Last year, the School revived the tradition of staging an after school musical by producing Miranda’s Quill, written by HVS Alum Benjamin Glatt ‘10 and alumni teacher Dr. Lawrence Glatt. When Ms. Loshak was contemplating the options for this year’s musical, another play written by community members rose to the top.
Peabody is a heartwarming and humorous musical production created by much-loved local artists and HVS parents, Glen Berger and the late Morgan Taylor. Originally commissioned by Duke Energy to present STEM material with charm and humor, Peabody tells the story of 8th grader Alyssa Peabody, whose unorthodox Science Fair project leads to unexpected conflict with her family, friends, and school. It has toured schools in Indiana in its earlier form and saw success in Chicago in its current incarnation.
It was a joy to bring the production to the HVS community. The script by Mr. Berger is sharp, witty, and nuanced in a way that made it a lot of fun for the students to work with. Mr. Taylor’s gift for catchy and creative songwriting enabled the students to pick the songs up easily, and they all thoroughly enjoyed singing them throughout the entire run.
In addition to the desire to share the work of both Mr. Taylor and Mr. Berger, Ms. Loshak was compelled by the way the play elevates elements of the School’s curriculum and social dynamics that middle schoolers often experience.
“Peabody really meets middle schoolers,” Ms. Loshak says. “The main character is from a blended family, which is something that isn’t necessarily reflected or represented so often. It also brings science education into the arts, with humor, which is such a valuable experience for the students.”
The students performed above and beyond expectations, fully engaging in the whole process of staging the musical. Ms. Loshak looks forward to leading another after school musical next year, and has a few original script ideas percolating to be considered.
“I fully intend to do a musical every year as part of our school culture because I think the more we do it, the more joyful experiences that we can create for our students and the community,” Ms. Loshak says. “There’s no end of possibilities creatively in our community to produce great musicals, and these productions really help to bring people together, both the students working on the play and the community as they watch the performances.”
As for Peabody itself, Ms. Loshak and Mr. Berger are hoping to take production to children’s theaters and schools to encourage performances in other places. “I feel passionately that it is great show that could be enjoyed by so many” she says. “I also want to do all that I can to honor Morgan, his music, and his life, by sharing his incredible creativity with as many people as possible.”
Bravo to all the student actors and musicians on an amazing run!
