Written by Kole Bavoso, NCPS Communications Intern
This past weekend, the New Canaan High School’s Theatre Department performed their Spring production—Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. The musical follows the story of Ella [Annabelle Murphy] who is forced into being subservient to her villainous stepmother, Madame [Kole Bavoso]. Ella wishes she could go out and explore the world. Revolutionary Jean-Michel [Thomas Pisant] tries to open the peoples’ eyes to injustice in their kingdom while Lord Pinkleton [Hank Durfee] announces Prince Topher’s [Bennett Gropper] ball to find a queen. Aided by her fairy godmother, Marie [Hannah Reid], Ella transforms out of her rags and into a beautiful gown and meets the Prince at the ball. The two share a kiss. Madame tries to persuade Lord Protector Sebastian [Nick Mohamad] into having one of her daughters, the beautiful Gabrielle [Catherine Haddad], meet the Prince and become Queen. Madame’s other daughter, Charlotte [Sophie Jones], laments the fact that her sister is always the one guys are drawn to.
The show featured many Seniors performing in their final production at New Canaan High School, one of which being Kole Bavoso. Kole played the part of Madame and had such an incredible time working on the show. Cinderella was the first show where Kole played the antagonist, offering a very different experience to their repertoire. Kole admits, “It was difficult to play someone as mean and terrifying as Madame. But with the help of our director, every day I felt more confident in my role.” Kole even said that, as they got closer to the show, they began to take more risks with their character, which ultimately paid off comedically. “I remember adding in small moments that gave Madame more character, like adding in an evil laugh after a line or throwing my cloak at Ella.” These small details, Kole notes, made this role an unforgettable experience.
This production was one of the biggest the New Canaan High School auditorium saw this year. “It was really satisfying to look out into the audience from the stage and see hundreds of people smiling back at you,” remarks Kole. “The energy of an audience is a big part of the excitement of performing, so—when there is a big audience—us actors feel so much enthusiasm on stage.”
Kole admits that it was difficult to replicate the overwhelmingly positive reception the underclassmen Fall musical Mean Girls received. But Cinderella attracted an audience of all different ages, from little kids wearing their Cinderella gowns all the way to parents and grandparents watching their young thespian on stage. The show was such an enjoyable and entertaining experience that drew in people from not only New Canaan, but all over the Fairfield County area.
The production was directed by Matt Blank, choreographed by Emily Frangipane, and music directed by Henry Tate—a Junior at New Canaan High School. Henry was ecstatic to music direct Cinderella, being the first student to ever do so. Henry usually can be seen on stage as an actor, most recently starring as Robert Martin in The Drowsy Chaperone at New Canaan High School. Adding to a successful young acting career, Henry Tate decided he wanted to see what else theater has to offer him. While serving as assistant music director, he “really enjoyed the experience of being more involved.”
As someone who has always been involved with music, Henry said, “I’ve really enjoyed combining my longtime love for playing piano with theatre. The two coming together has been really gratifying.” As music director, he had many responsibilities—teaching the cast their lyrics, and melodies, cleaning long sections of singing, and playing the piano as accompaniment during rehearsals. Henry spent many hours every week helping the cast on and off stage and has tackled this huge feat very thoroughly. “There is so much that goes into being the music director that I never even imagined,” Henry shares, “putting all the intricate details of this show together has felt like a huge accomplishment.”
The cast is very thankful for Henry and all that he did to prepare them for the incredible show they put on. With the seniors off to college next year, the Juniors now step up as the next leaders in the department. Henry will certainly be ready for any responsibilities thrown his way this coming year, whether he is acting on the stage or music directing again.
Photo Contributions by Henry Tate