The school edition of Jonathan Larson’s massively successful 1996 musical, Rent, follows various friends living in New York City and deals with topical themes such as AIDS, depression, drugs, alcoholism, and homosexuality. It is composed of almost only song with little spoken dialogue, reinventing and almost creating the rock opera with its conception. Critically and financially, Rent is a worldwide phenomenon. It changed the face of musical theater, so naturally the students of McCluer had much to live up to.

Everyone in the production stepped up to the challenge, many with great ease. At the center of the story is Roger (Lavalle Moore) and Mimi (Adrienne Thompson), both very effective and passionate with their roles. Both are vocally and physically demanding, facing great character development and difficult vocal work. However, the two always sold the audience with their confidence, natural charm, and constant energy.

In the supporting cast, one of the greatest standouts was Alexis Tucker as Maureen. She had the daunting task of bringing to life the role of the spunky, gay performer Maureen who must exude great amounts of confidence while still being likable, a tough job on its own before you consider that she must also have tremendous vocal skills. However, she blew it out of the water and her hilarious performance of “Over the Moon” brought the audience together and taught them that while watching Rent, it is more than okay to laugh when there is humor and cry when things turn dark. Alongside her was Jessica Williams as her girlfriend JoAnne whose vocals were some of the most impressive I have seen in a high school production. In “Take Me or Leave Me,” they complemented each other tremendously.

The ensemble was good at the beginning, but really came into their own throughout the show, bringing energy and spirit whenever they were onstage. When they opened Act II with “Seasons of Love”, the solos went to members of the cast who were not leads, but proved that every actor in this show had something great to bring to the table and the solos were nothing short of terrific.

The set was simplistic, but it worked and was in tune with the show. They utilized the space as much as they could and were able to use the strategy that “less is more” to their advantage. The orchestra was powerful and kept up with the music with ease, very surprising considering how much there was to learn and master. The costumes as well were very in tune with the time and setting, very much worth noting.

Rent is a show about community and love and on the stage of McCluer, there was more than enough to keep the spirit and passion of the characters and the story pulsating through the theater.

by Alex Bush of Mary Institute St. Louis Country Day School

The Diviners was written by Jim Leonard and based in the very beginning of the Great Depression era. The play takes place into a rural town near the Appalachian Mountains, with a population of around 40. In the very beginning, the viewer finds out that Buddy Layman, a young boy with a knack of finding water, passes away. The play then leads the viewer of the story showing the days before Buddy’s death.

The lead characters, along with rest of the cast, had a strong idea of how each of their characters should be and never broke character. Cornelius Barnes, who plays Buddy, did a phenomenal job of creating such a lovable character from the beginning. Barnes could have easily gone over the top with a character like Buddy, but did not. From his body movements to his sly grin Barnes truly captured what Buddy Layman was all about, innocence. Elvony Pleasant, who plays Buddy’s older sister Jennie Mae, also did a tremendous job of portraying a young girl forced to grow up after her mother passes away.

Lavalle Moore, who plays C.C. Showers, a preacher who comes into the town looking for work, showed infectious energy the entire show. Moore’s genuine acting gave C.C. a friendly and caring twist throughout the show. Jade Hillery, who plays Norma Henshaw, a shop owner who hopes C.C. can bring church and God back into the town, added a great comic relief throughout the show. Overall the entire cast showed a great amount of chemistry between each other. One cast member never outshined the others. A great example of this is at the end when the entire cast sings “Amazing Grace” after Buddy dies. The emotion from every single member was the most amazing and heartbreaking part of the entire show.

The costumes of each of the characters seemed to be well thought out from the tears in Buddy’s overalls to the dirt smeared across many of the men’s clothes. The team work between the sound and lighting was extremely tight most of the time especially in the ending scene. The set was also an interesting twist with the quilt draped across the stage.

Overall, like many shows, this one had a few minor flaws. At times some of the characters lacked energy in scenes and there were some slip ups on lines. There were also some technical problems relating to the sound and lighting.

Taking in account all of the difficulties this talented cast and crew has had to face, McCluer High School put together possibly one of the most professional shows seen this year.

by Desirae Eagle of Pattonville

The curtain closed as four–not three–Dreams were silhouetted, finally reunited. So ended McCluer’s production of Dreamgirls, a production detailing the lives of young hopefuls and their journeys to the top of the 1960’s and 70’s music industry.

Although it made its Broadway début in 1981, Dreamgirls is most widely known for the 2006 movie starring Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Hudson. With music by Henry Krieger and lyrics by Tom Eyen, the musical is based on lives of successful R & B acts such as the Supremes. The show is presented in two acts, and covers the years 1963 through 1978. It follows a trio of female singers as they work through the trials and tribulations of climbing to the top of the charts.

The enthusiasm of the entire ensemble shone through during musical numbers and kept the show moving.

As Effie White, Alexis Tucker was a vocal powerhouse. She perfectly embodied Effie’s struggle to go from lead to back-up as well as her feeling of desertion from friends and family, all the while beautifully belting out her songs. During songs like “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” and “I Am Changing,” Tucker’s voice perfectly exemplified that of the diva grappling to take back control of her life.

Melanie McCray (Deena) and Adrienne Thompson (Lorrell) dazzled as the Dreams, along with Jade Hillery (Michelle) later. DeAndre’a Fair (Jimmy Early) worked well with the audience and epitomized the funny character of Jimmy. The ensemble members were consistent in their energized performances. Also, the small ensembles, such as the Five Tuxedos or the Les Styles, added extra intensity to the production. Although some performers had trouble keeping their singing in tune, the cast overcame these moments through liveliness and bounce.

The simple lighting proved to be extremely effective. The stark contrast of the red background and silhouettes during “Steppin’ to the Bad Side” was impressive, as was the mastery of the spotlights as they zoomed in and held to faces during other songs. Colorful costumes accurately portrayed the time period. Also, the change in hairstyles between acts represented the changing times well.

With soulful R&B and an energetic cast, McCluer’s performance certainly was worth seeing, even if it was just “One Night Only.”

by Rose Marinaro of Notre Dame High School