Weekend Showcase: Sandburg Middle School’s “Schoolhouse Rock!”
Sandburg Middle School students are busy preparing for their version of “Schoolhouse Rock!” For many of the students, it’s their first time ever doing a musical. You can catch Sandburg Middle School students in “Schoolhouse Rock” on the Armstrong High School stage through Saturday night.
“It’s an honor to be their person to like, ‘hey welcome to theater,'” said Marley Ritchie, director of the musical. “It’s scary, but it’s awesome and fun.”
Ritchie and Alyssa Impullitti are the instructors and coaches for the performance.
“If I can give them the encouragement, ‘no, that was it! that was it! that’s exactly right,’ each time you get a little bit more confident,” said Impulitti.
“Schoolhouse Rock!” originally ran from 1973 to 1985 on the ABC television network during the children’s programming block Saturday mornings. Many of the students had never heard of it.
“I had no idea what it was before,” said student performer Nora Vladimirova. “We’ve been working since about the beginning of April. So quite a while.”
“The songs are just so singable,” said Impullitti. “They’re catchy and the kids caught on to them really quick.”
Those songs include “Interplanet Janet,” “I’m Just a Bill,” and “Elbow Room.”
The Sandburg Middle School kids begin their three-day run in less than a week. Performances take place at the Armstrong High School theater beginning Thursday, May 30.
