POINT PLEASANT BEACH — The high school musical, a time-honored ritual for American teens, is one of the most intricate rites of passage available to students as they make their way through the four years of their secondary education.
Hundreds of moving parts — from the acting to the vocals to choreography, set pieces, props and technical equipment — are left up to students.
For Point Pleasant Beach High School’s Drama Club, the process is similar: long nights, tense moments and lots of spontaneous dancing.
For the past month leading up to the premiere of their spring musical, “Catch Me If You Can,” on March 7, The Ocean Star has followed the cast and crew of Point Beach Drama Club in their dogged pursuit of pulling together their version of one of high school’s most beloved traditions.
The Mark Shaiman musical, based on the 2002 movie of the same name, tells the partly true, partly fabricated story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a con man who claims to have spent the 1960s fraudulently jumping from job to job — from pilot, to doctor, to lawyer, etc.
“It was easy settling in at first,” said Gavin Powers, who plays Abagnale, early in the show’s production. Gavin, a senior, served both behind the scenes and onstage at previous productions, as the fall drama and winter musical student director.
“I like this character’s story, and the songs are very catchy. I found myself singing them at home all the time, so it came natural.”
“But, the last week or two, I’ve been finding that, as we add more things like costumes and props, it’s starting to get a little harder for me, keeping track of all that,” he said.
The other leading man, junior Blake Miles, plays the foil to Gavin’s Abagnale as FBI Special Agent Carl Hanratty, who pursues the trickster every step of the way. Blake said that slipping into the role of Hanratty was difficult at first, especially learning the verbose agent’s lines.
“I think I’ve settled pretty well into my character,” Blake, who’s acted in numerous Point Beach Drama Club productions, said. Last year, he played the lead role of nerdy botanist Seymour Krelborn in “Little Shop of Horrors.”
“It’s fun to chase Gavin around onstage, but it’s a lot of moving parts…The lines in this show, for some reason, have been harder for me to memorize than in other shows. It’s a lot of lines, and it’s a lot of phrasing and words that I wouldn’t use myself.”
“We’re yappers,” Gavin said.
Waiting in the wings — directing the movement of props — is senior Sam Miles, the show’s stage manager. She told The Ocean Star some of her most pressing thoughts on working stage crew for the final time in high school.
“There’s a couple of scenes where we (the stage crew) have a lot to do at once,” she said, “but I think that we’ve got them down. I’m excited for it all to come together and be great.”
Teacher Stephanie Dalton, the musical paraprofessional for the show as well as the drama club adviser, acknowledged just how far the theater program has come in the past several years, as well as how the students have dedicated their hearts to the cause.
“This year is so much more relaxed than we have been for the past couple years — we’ve come a long way,” Dalton said. She explained that the drama club has been through several directors in the last few years. “This has not been an easy few years; the fact that they’re still here, some of the older students, is really special.”
SETTING THE SCENE
Victoria McLaughlin, a Wall Township teacher, is director of this year’s musical. She explained in mid-February where the students were in their production schedule.
“Last Saturday was the first time the crew started moving stuff — we don’t even have our set pieces yet,” she said. “They’re just moving chairs and tables as they’re set. The lumber has been donated from Woodhaven (a lumber company in Point Beach), and we have a family who so graciously designs the pieces for us.”
McLaughlin referred to the as-yet-empty stage, describing which set pieces would go where, saying, “There’s going to be a platform in the middle, stairs coming down and around the front and the whole thing is going to be white. But the lighting is going to be what really makes that all colorful, to give the contrast between the stark FBI agents in their office and the colorful scenes.”
She said that they chose “Catch Me If You Can” as this year’s musical for a number of reasons, including the sheer joy and levity that the show represents, a levity which became more and more evident at later rehearsals.
“I needed something happy that had a lot of the students involved, a lot of the time,” she said. “When I first took over the position, I sent out an interest survey and asked, ‘What are we interested in?’ I wanted to know what they wanted from the program, and everyone pretty much said that they wanted something happy, fun, upbeat, where everybody can do something…This is the first show I’ve been to in a really long time where nobody screams because they’re dying onstage.”
“I really feel like the more they make the show their own show, the more they’ll grow to both know it and love it,” McLaughlin said.
Senior Jacob Hutchinson, the technical lead of the musical, explained the tech crew’s biggest challenges, as well as favorite tech moments of the show from up in the booth, shining lights down on the cast and setting off sound effects at the perfect time.
“It’s the startup. We’ve got to brainstorm what looks right for a scene — even just a certain color changes the way a scene looks. If it’s sad, it’s got to be cold, it’s got to have blues; but then when it’s happy, it has its pinks, greens, oranges. You have to be able to understand what’s going on with it,” Jacob said, describing his process similarly to that of a film cinematographer.
He described the feeling of looking at his tech crew members after hitting a perfect lighting cue or sound effect as “a moment of silent glory,” adding, “we can’t be loud, we can’t high-five each other; we just look at each other and smile.”
‘DON’T BREAK THE RULES’
In fact, compared to “Little Shop,” there’s much more dancing than screaming, by a good measure. One intimate dance scene occurs between juniors Brielle Ewing and Joe DeVoe, who play Frank Jr.’s mother, Paula, and her love affair, one of Frank Sr.’s close friends (Joe also plays a handful of other speaking roles).
“I think it helps break the tension that me and Joe are really good friends,” Brielle said. She explained that she sees Paula’s situation of having married too young sympathetically. “We’ve been friends, so it’s not awkward. I personally understand where the character, Paula, is coming from, and how she feels, so I feel like that’s really big in portraying it.”
“Sometimes it’s funny; we have to just stare into each other’s eyes and try not to laugh,” Joe said.
When it comes to large-scale dancing, however, senior Jordyn Gigerian is the person for the job, having choreographed a majority of the ensemble dance sequences herself, as well as playing Frank Jr.’s love interest, nurse Brenda Strong. She was candid about striking the tough balance between teaching her peers dance-wise and still remaining on their level acting-wise.
“What was difficult for me is that I had a lot of the larger dance numbers, so I had to deal with everyone at once,” Jordyn said. “That is really difficult, rather than working with smaller groups, because we all love each other and we all want to talk to each other…As a choreographer this year, I had to step into a kind of different role, like, ‘Come on, guys, let’s learn this;’ but then it’s also so cool to see the vision I have in my head come to life on the stage — I’ve always wanted to step behind the stage for a little bit.”
Much of the leading cast said that dancing is their white whale, with Blake explaining that his featured number “Don’t Break the Rules” is the most intricate dance he’s had to learn yet for a musical.
“‘Don’t Break the Rules’ is definitely the hardest choreography I’ve ever had to do,” he said, as Jordyn flawlessly mimicked one of his signature dance moves from the number. “See, I still can’t do that.”
STAGE PRESENCE
At the end of one later rehearsal, it became clear that the actors were becoming more comfortable letting loose with their acting and dancing, that the crew was more handily and quickly maneuvering around the dark stage, eliciting good vibes all around.
“I’m most excited for everything to come together, and for everybody to get that euphoria from performing. I just love seeing other people happy,” said stage crew member AnnaMaria Colasanto.
“I think my favorite part is interacting with the cast members and seeing how they’re doing, trying to fix problems with them,” said senior Dennis Giampietro at the rehearsal prior.
Though, for a large majority of the play, they are not interacting directly with each other, Blake and Gavin have excellent chemistry, the former as the tightly wound, rule-following FBI agent Hanratty, the latter as the fly-by-night trickster and ladies’ man Abagnale. In no scene is their chemistry more audibly evident than toward the end of Act 1, when during a song called “Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year” the two harmonize in a way that makes the cast and the room — this reporter included — crack an uncontrollable smile.
The dress rehearsal marks a point in the show’s production in which the growth of the actors, crew and even directors becomes apparent; similarly, the things that aren’t quite up to snuff yet are dealt with. A moment of growth that became visible immediately in the middle of dress rehearsal was when freshman Braden Miles, playing Frank Abagnale Sr., was stopped as his vocals began.
Musical director and teacher Eric McLaughlin (also Victoria McLaughlin’s husband) immediately suggested that Braden open up his voice and sing up an octave; a direction which had the effect of instantly giving Braden’s voice a new confidence.
Braden said, “Throughout the show, I’ve definitely gotten a lot better at singing. For this show, I’ve really been expanding upon my lower register when it comes to singing. I like to test out (Mr. McLaughlin’s directions) on my own before ever doing it on stage, and if I think it’ll work out better — like the octave up — I’ll do it. If I think I can try something else, I’ll try it and see what he thinks.”
‘OUR FAMILY TREE’
In the second act, Frank Jr. meets Brenda’s aggressively Southern parents, who have mannerisms which senior Mackenzie Highland and Joe nail perfectly; Mackenzie’s energetic chattering contrasts perfectly with Joe’s legato Southern drawl. The scene culminates in a musical number called “Our Family Tree,” where the Strongs welcome the seemingly perfect Frank to their large Lutheran family.
“Mr. and Ms. McLaughlin are both very great, like a breath of fresh air…and I think to an extent that’s the reason why we haven’t had any drama behind the scenes,” Gavin said. “We’re a family here, we all come here to do a great job.”
Another family tree, though, exists within the real-life counterparts to the theatrical tree sung about by Mackenzie, Gavin and the gang. David Miles, who alongside wife Michelle, built a majority of the show’s set pieces, also happens to be the father of Blake and Braden, two of the show’s leads, as well as the uncle of the stage manager, Sam.
“It’s got to be close to 10 years, both at (Antrim Elementary) and the high school,” he said. “As long as they’ve been in the program, I’ve been helping out — then, the last three or four years, we’ve pretty much been heading up the whole job.”
There’s a scene near the musical’s conclusion where Hanratty and Frank Sr. sit together at a bar, both moping about how Frank Jr. has slipped through their fingers, and bonding over their shared childhood traumas. Knowing this going into the show, it’s special to see the two real-life brothers playing them, Blake and Braden, as they sing a song, “Little Boy, Be a Man,” about the very act of growing up. Dad David is proud of his sons.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” Miles said. “We’ve been doing it since Blake was in fourth or fifth grade, and every year since then. We build the set every year; last year it was just Blake in high school, and now it’s him and Braden together.”
‘SITZPROBE’
Rehearsal with the full dozen members of the orchestra pit for the first time is interesting, as the actors are all remaining basically stationary onstage as they sing their lines, lining the cues up with the musicians — a challenge that is a step up from running through it from a recording, according to some of the students.
Taking five after rehearsing “Our Family Tree,” Mackenzie said, “Our energy and the vibe are so up right now…Honestly, I’m really excited. Usually, this is a stressful time, but I’m feeling a lot more put-together than stressed. Everything’s just coming together; like costumes, makeup. It makes you feel a lot more into it.”
During this “sitzprobe” — a German word referring to a specific rehearsal where the cast and orchestra focus on integrating music and vocals — the actors clearly seem more at ease with their parts. Blake completely disappears into the personality of Hanratty, Gavin into Frank, Jordyn into Brenda, etc., and the backup vocals are bright and, most importantly, loud. This was the session at which the musical seemed on track to truly shine, with confidence.
“There’s a lot of layers to this rehearsal,” said Victoria McLaughlin. “We have a new sound system here, and we need to make sure our levels and our volume are right.”
“I feel like the energy is here now that (the orchestra pit) is here…I feel like we can feel their energy, too. The live music just makes you feel more into it, especially in this show, because the orchestration of it is so amazing. It’s real now, the show is almost here,” said senior Ava Connors. “It’s soon.”
Eric McLaughlin told The Ocean Star that he feels the confidence emanating from the stage as well, particularly after the sitzprobe. He said his favorite part of being a musical director as opposed to his normal gig as a K-8 music teacher is the “performance ability.”
“It’s nice to be able to perform with a different grade level for a change,” he said. “I really love working with the K-8s. But it’s nice, especially with a lot of the kids who I’ve seen grow up through all the years, and I can work with them now as older kids. It’s so nice to see them mature musically and as people, of course, too.”
Sophomore Evan Grosshandler, a clarinet player in the pit and member of the school’s band, said that he is “very confident about the music. Practicing along with the cast felt way better than just practicing by myself with the piano; I didn’t have the whole band together with me. It made it way easier to practice everything. It’s definitely a really big honor, because I really love playing music.”
‘FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT’
The night of the sitzprobe, the cast and crew of the show, returning from a brief five as the orchestra played a swinging transition piece, broke out into dancing of all kinds — for a minute completely heedless of everything around them, and positively joyful. It was the purest indication of how far they’d come in the weeks The Ocean Star has covered their musical. It wasn’t just bluster either; the actors could feel it, themselves.
“As a freshman, I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life, I’m not going to lie to you. It was emotional coming out of middle school, but coming here is just a whole new thing with the pit and the live music. It’s ‘Live in Living Color,’” said Kai Conde-Velez, referencing the musical’s opening number and opining on her first high school musical experience.
Conversely, Jordyn reflected on her senior year so far, and opined on the things she is going to miss most about high school theater.
“My brain’s in, like, a million different places,” she said. “People always say this, but it’s true: it came so quick, and it’s insane because I’ve been here since my freshman year doing the musical. So I’ve gotten to see every senior class, and I’ve always been friends with the older kids, so I’ve always had to say goodbye. Now, it’s my turn to say goodbye. It’s been so bittersweet, so emotional.”
Brielle, standing beside Jordyn, said, “It’s crazy when you’re working on a project for so long and you finally get to hear everything that was missing just bring it all together; it’s such a great feeling.”
At their final rehearsal this Wednesday, the cast did a full run-through of the musical — no holds barred, students’ stuffed animals and this reporter filling the seats, serving as a temporary audience before opening night.
Sam, during intermission of the last rehearsal, told The Ocean Star that “there’s nobody like theater kids — you can’t find these kinds of kids anywhere else.”
“I’ve done three musicals here, but I’d say this is definitely the best experience I’ve had with one, even though I had a lot of fun with the others, too,” said Blake. “It’s been a lot of fun, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to be. When we first looked at the show, we were all a little unsure about it. But then I thought, ‘Oh, I could see me and Gavin in those roles…’ I’m nervous, but I’m very proud of this show.”
“It’s emotional, it is. I joined the game late with this program; I didn’t do it my freshman year. That’s something I’ve been thinking about recently — a regret of mine. I just love this group of people,” Gavin told The Ocean Star. “But I’ve got a lot of people coming this weekend, some of them who I haven’t seen in a while, so I’m ready to show them what I’ve been working on the past few months; show them what I do best. I think we’re prepared. We’re ready.”
Ultimately, the show will be up to them, the 30-some-odd kids that make up the cast and crew of Point Beach High’s Drama Club. Whatever they put out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, though, it will be theirs. For some of them, like the seniors of the bunch, it will be a fond memory; it may also be part of the reason they emerge from high school as vibrant young adults.
Blake may have put it best back at a later February rehearsal, when he said, “It’s getting real. Realizing the other day that the show is two weeks away is very, very eye-opening…‘Fake it ‘til you make it’ is the best way to do it.”
The real Frank Abagnale Jr. would probably agree that this is the best method to get by — in life, but also in the realm of acting, of learning the ropes. Just by participating, though — by dedicating their hearts — the cast and crew of Point Beach High Drama Club have already “made it,” in a way. And this weekend, regardless of the fiction of the roles they’re playing, there won’t be anything fake about it.
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