Belvidere High School performs A Christmas Carol

By Anne Eickstadt

REPORTER

Thursday, Dec. 8 through Sunday, Dec. 11, Belvidere High School students performed the traditional Christmas tale, A Christmas Carol at the Performing Arts Center, located at 1500 E. State St. in Belvidere.

“With this being Mrs. Cantele’s last year, everyone wants to give her a good send-off. Emotions are high. They want to do her proud,” BHS Assistant Director Cody Siemers said. “The show is great. The kids are excited. They’ve worked hard. It’s their chance to tell the story. It’s a fairly well known story, so for the kids to go on stage to make it new, they’ve had to dig deep.”

Based on the classic novel by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. The book is by Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens. The stage play premiered on Thursday, Dec. 1, 1994, at the Paramount Theater in Madison Square Garden. It was performed annually there in December until 2003.

Those who are familiar with the classic A Christmas Carol will find that the musical numbers are different. For example, “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” no longer opens and closes the show. The story still runs along all the familiar lines, the three Ghosts of Christmas – Past, Present, and Future were right on target, and Tiny Tim lives at the end.

“Mrs. Cantele is our choral director. She usually does the musicals. Mr. Siemers is new in our theater department, and he is assisting in this show,” Nico Hartman, who portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge, said. “A Christmas Carol” has been a work in process. I can’t believe we pulled it off as well as we did on opening night. I’m glad that everyone has had so much faith in me. I want to keep acting in the future. I am going to college for illustration, but acting is something I am super passionate about. I feel true to myself when I am acting. During our bows, it was an unbelievable feeling. I was so happy. I thought, ‘I am home right now.’”

At Thursday’s performance, teary faces were proof of the wonderful performance the students gave as the show drew the audience into its powerful message. The entire ensemble received a standing ovation during their final bows. The audience then moved to the lobby where they mobbed the actors with hugs, kisses, and floral tributes.

To find out more about upcoming performances, go to: www.distric100.com/events.