By Journalism student Joey W. and edited for clarity by New Life Academy.
Mrs. Janette Bach’s Middle School Musical Theatre class will take the stage this week to present The Little Mermaid Jr. Many students have been hard at work throughout this past semester to bring this beloved story to life. With excitement building both onstage and behind the scenes, the show promises plenty of memorable moments for both the students and audience!
This year marks Mrs. Bach’s tenth year directing the middle school musical, and she is excited to bring The Little Mermaid Jr. to the stage. Although she directed The Little Mermaid in 2020, this is her first time producing it with middle school students. When asked about this year’s musical choice, Bach explained, “We’re always looking for something that is going to give a lot of people stage time and the ability to explore characterization.” She added that choosing The Little Mermaid Jr. felt like the perfect fit for a winter performance: “It’s going to be like sunshine and sand when everything outside is snow.”
Mrs. Bach has extra help bringing this show to life. Seniors Jake Paulson and Carleigh Bogue assisted with building the set, taking some pressure off her shoulders. Their support has given Mrs. Bach more time to work closely with students and imagine a bigger vision for the production. “It’s been a blessing because we can dream bigger than normal,” she says. “Usually it’s like, we’re going to have a chair and we’re going to move the chair. But now we can dream bigger.”
Mrs. Bach also has a new teacher’s aide this year. After last year’s aide, Audryn Hegewald, graduated, Taylor Fizel stepped into the role and is now assisting and choreographing the show. Adjusting to the change has been meaningful for Mrs. Bach, who shared, “Audryn did four shows with me, so I really got used to working with her—we were kind of like one person by the end. So, it’s been fun to work with someone new, mainly because the other day, I got to see Taylor see the students the way I do.”
As a new assistant, Taylor has had to learn many new things, just as Mrs. Bach has had to adapt to working with someone new. “Working with Mrs. Bach has been a great opportunity to collaborate and learn more about the decision-making and behind-the-scenes work of theatre,” Taylor shared.
While the learning curve brings ups and downs, there are rewarding aspects of this hard work. Mrs. Bach has seen Taylor grow in her own way of teaching. In a recent rehearsal, Mrs. Bach saw Taylor become emotional watching the kids perform “Under the Sea.” She later told Taylor, “You don’t get it all the time, but the days that you get it and you get to see them live in freedom and perform and do all the things that you’ve taught them to do, but they are now taking it and making it their own. That’s what makes it so beautiful.”
Taylor has enjoyed watching the students grow and is getting excited to see them perform the show. Everyone’s excitement is rooted in something, and for Taylor, it is the kids. “The kids are so talented and it’s exciting to see them get more comfortable in their roles and making new character choices,” she says. It makes me really excited for the winter.”
Don’t miss your chance to experience this joyful production! Join us for The Little Mermaid Jr. on Thursday, December 4, at 6:00 p.m. The performance will be held in the New Life Academy Worship Center and is free to the public. We hope to see you there!
