By Staff Writer, Colleen Park

            “The whole crowd will be on their feet freaking out!” he yells.
            Laughter erupts as drama teacher Dave Huber tries to convey the mood of the invisible audience during rehearsals for the musical Once on This Island.

            It is the story of a peasant girl, Ti Moune, who falls in love with the wealthy Daniel, whose life she saves after a car crash. The gods, worshipped by the villagers, create the journey Ti Moune must follow, testing the strength of her love.
Opened yesterday and showing in the auditorium Saturday and Monday, Once on This Island is the first musical at the school since 2004, a collaboration between choral director Elizabeth Richey and Huber.
            Auditions were held in the auditorium before winter break, a grueling process for some and a great opportunity for others. The trial consisted of both singing and acting abilities. Those auditioning had to be able to sing 16 bars on a scale, sing a song of their choice, and read a monologue from a given script in front of Huber and Richey.
Connie Guzman (’08), who was chosen to be one of the storyteller parts, remembers how nervous she was.
            “I didn’t know whether I was good enough,” Guzman said.
            Ximena Velasquez (’08), another storyteller, was caught unprepared when asked by Huber to try out on the final day of auditions. With no song ready, she sang the “Happy Peanut Butter” commercial song.
Assistant Director and Stage Manager Narineh Tahmasebian (’07) had been excited when she heard about the idea of a musical, until she realized that it meant singing. Lacking confidence in her singing ability contrary to her acting, Tahmasebian decided to work behind the scenes.
            “Any aspect of acting interests me. [It is my] ultimate aspiration to be an actress [and] seeing things through a director’s eyes [has] really [helped me],” she said.
Huber is above all else an actor’s director, using his pen like the baton of a magician, commanding the attention of the performers and his hands to direct movement.
“Huber more than directs,” Tahmasebian said. “[He] tries to get inside every character for every actor so it is [easier] for them to understand.”
Even going so far as to mimicking the motions of the choreography, Huber helps the performers make every movement the right one. At the same time, because it is easy for someone to become lost, Huber constantly keeps the progression of the musical in motion.
“He is absent-minded yet lovable,” Theodore Banzon (’07) said who plays Agwe the God of Water. “Though sometimes things are all over the place, in a strange way, it all fits together.”
            With a cast of 25, Huber has found that the hardest part is simply getting everyone together with so many people involved in other school activities.
With the additional elements of choreography and ensembles, the performers must not only develop their individual performances, but also work well as a group. A few drama class veterans are among the cast, but for the rest, it has been a learning experience.
            Huber remarks upon how Joanna Cordero (’07), as Ti Moune, is in neither drama nor choir, yet was talented enough to be cast in a leading role.
“Drama wants her but she’s not in drama and Choir wants her but she’s not in choir,” Huber said. Many gifted students are in so many school activities that they do not have room to take such classes.
            Once on This Island was adapted to a two-hour show from the original Broadway Production and is one of Huber’s favorites.
“The story is told through song instead of dialogue,” Richey said.
            The production not only calls upon the abilities of the performers but also enlists the aid of advanced art with hand painted sets. There will be the added element of illusions through the creative use of lighting.
            It was as great a benefit for art teacher Mary Pomonis as it was for Huber and the production of the musical.
            “In school, you always use 8.5² by 11² [sheets of paper] because it fits on your table and ideas are small because the format is,” Pomonis said. “With a larger format, students have space to explore out of their comfort zone.”
Both Huber and Richey agreed that there is going to be a musical every year as long as there is a theatre and a choir director. In fact, Huber has a proposal to have a musical with a faculty cast.
Once On this Island will be shown in the auditorium this Saturday and Monday for $8.