High School Musical

On Thursday night, March 31, 2011, I had the honor of attending the Hopatcong High School production of “Me and My Girl” produced and directed by Mr. Joe Ross. Words cannot express my pleasure as I reflect upon a wonderful and marvelous performance by our high school students. This musical set in England in the 1930’s and is full of raw comedy, singing, and dancing. The cast was totally engaging and pulled off a brilliant rendition of this rather tongue-in-cheek musical. There were some vaudevillian aspects of the play that one would think would be difficult to portray by high school students and they handled it with ease. The group tap dances were well executed and the overall impact was fundamentally sound. This is evidence of a well-disciplined troop of young actors and actresses who were clearly focused on producing a quality performance.




The musical aspect of this performance was difficult to accomplish given the book was written in the 1930’s, full of rhythmic challenges and replete with constant key changes. Matt Testa did a very nice job as conductor and teacher of the musical ensemble. The difficulty of connecting the pieces seemed easy as the orchestra segued from segment to segment. There were many key adults involved behind the scenes including Michael Batche and Barbara Fersch, members of the faculty and staff, and a strong parent’s organization.



It is worth mentioning that our lead actor, Steven Munoz, did a spectacular job of portraying Bill Snibson in the musical. Steven made his character come to life for the audience by masterfully executing the timing of his lines, the gestures, dancing, singing, and overall comedic interpretation as if he were born to accomplish this task. Such a natural and comfortable role for a high school student does not come easily, yet Steven was brilliant and sold the audience on his every move as an actor. This young man can go places in theatre if he wishes to do so.



I have written extensively about the value and place of the arts in our public schools. Last night’s performance involving perhaps a hundred or more students is a solid affirmation of the philosophy that the arts must remain central in the developing lives of America’s youth. We are a creative and vibrant nation made up of the most diverse population on this earth. The arts allow us to celebrate the differences we possess and integrate them into a meaningful whole. Our young people can only learn the value of appreciating their individual talents and differences through direct experiences and theatre, dance, singing and performing are the perfect avenues for students. Congratulations to the Hopatcong High School Drama Club on a wonderful and fun performance.