Sheri Samson
The Wolves Attorney, played by Madeline Bennett, attempts to interview the silly Three Little Pigs while other character participants look on.
With excessive memorization and excellent choral skills on display, Mineral County’s Junior High School and High School students combined their efforts to present “The Big Bad Musical”, as produced by the Pioneer Drama Service Inc. with music and lyrics written by Bill Francoeur and adaptation from the book by Alex Strum.
Local teacher and drama director, Steven Hudson and the Mineral County School District’s musical director, Dr Ben Gooch, combined their efforts in taking these talented students to the stage in a production which brought enthusiasm to the many student participants who had worked over three months in preparation of their performances.
“We had a full semester of stress-outs,” Gooch shared with the audience, “but it has finally arrived. The students were the ones to bring us the idea and they continued to bring it forward.”
The student’s music and drama skills surprised each crowded audience, as over three presentations were performed. A cast of 16 student members made for a full storyline, with students Kris Weaver and Tiffany Barnett working as the stage crew. Singing solos and choral numbers were enhanced by dancing, jokes, costumes and backdrops. The creative fashion of each actor’s unique mannerisms continued to give the audience a successful overview of the “howling courtroom comedy” which penned the program’s advertising.
With familiar storybook characters coming alive from this Red-Riding Hood remake, the premiere Big Bad Wolf, performed by Joseph Bandoni, was a perfect rendition of sass and confidence as he was accompanied by dancing Wolfettes (Kylie Wadge and Autumn Smith) and was interviewed by Mr. Grimm (Mateo Jimenez) for his news cast. Being tried in a mock court for his doomed behaviors, a community of characters took to the stage.
Lead parts, such as Little Red Riding Hood (Alanya Glover) and her grandmother (Katlyn McCune), with attorneys Fairy Godmother (Caitlyn Rogers) and Evil Stepmother (Madeline Bennett) made their court appeals, but it was the Young Wise Old Man judge, played by Cade Horn, which brought audience members a trial outcome.
Following testimonies made by The Three Little Pigs (Ashley Rodgers, Allen Hudson and Jada Cross), Miss Muffit (Abby Dennis), the Woodcutter, (Debra Stephens), Sheperd-ess (Destiny Gonzales) and her son, The Boy that Cried Wolf (Braedyn Barton), giggles could be heard from the crowds as their entertainment prevailed and audiences eventually voted on the wolf’s demise.
