There will be one more musical in Sutherland Theatre before it's torn down.
The Humboldt Collegiate Institute (HCI) drama club will be performing "A Christmas Carol" this winter as the theatre's last hurrah.
Though usually performed as a dramatic production, the version they have chosen to perform is a musical, noted Glenda Lees, one of the staff members in charge of the drama club at HCI.
"We are so excited about it," she said.
They got to choose from a variety of plays and musicals, Lees said, and settled on the one written by Stephen DeCesare.
"We chose it because it has recorded music," Lees noted. "And we needed that. It's also very true to the original Dickens story."
The novella by Charles Dickens was originally published in 1843, and has been adapted into movies and plays of various kinds ever since, including one starring The Muppets. The story's theme of being visited by three ghosts from the past, present and future has been adapted for television shows and movies and remains one of the most popular tales, especially at Christmas time, the modern world has ever known.
DeCesare's version is very workable for a high school drama club, Lees noted, and "is very true to the message Dickens was trying to get across - of mercy and social justice, especially at the Christmas season."
The performances of this play, set for December, will likely be the last performances Sutherland Theatre sees. HCI is to move to its new building attached to the Humboldt Uniplex sometime this fall, and while parts of the present HCI building will be converted for use by Humboldt Public School, the theatre will be knocked down.
"We're sneaking (the performances) in before Sutherland is gone," Lees said.
This will be the third musical the HCI club has taken on in the past three years.
Two years ago, the club performed their first musical in decades, bringing "Aladdin Jr." to the stage. Last year, the club staged "Happy Days" and this year, it's "A Christmas Carol."
"The kids are really excited once again to do a musical," Lees noted. "For some, this will be their third."
Brady Warford is one of those who has been involved in all three musicals. He's in Grade 12 this year, and has taken on the lead role of Ebeneezer Scrooge.
"One of the reasons I chose this musical was because I knew he'd be fabulous in the role," Lees said of Warford. "It's great to have the lead in your last year," she added.
Playing the other main role, that of Bob Cratchit, is Lewis Chamberlain, another Grade 12 student who has been involved with all three musicals, and who comes complete with a real English accent.
He and another student involved are both originally from the United Kingdom, Lees explained, and they're trying to teach the other students their genuine accent for the play, which is set in London, England.
The rest of the cast and crew are made up of students ranging from Grade 9 to 12. Something unique that Lees pointed out is that there are four sets of siblings among the 50 students who are doing everything from starring in the musical to making posters to advertise it.
"We have some really talented kids involved," Lees said, adding that some of them are actually playing two to five roles in the production, due to the long list of characters.
The drama classes at HCI are also getting involved, doing technical projects to complement the production. Many of the students in drama class are choosing to be involved with the extracurricular drama club as well, Lees noted.
Those in the drama club told the Journal they though the musical "sounded pretty cool," and that they thought the story was "awesome" when asked how they felt about Lees choosing this play for them to perform.
They really wanted to do a heartwarming, Christmas story, Chamberlain stated, since the school will be moving soon.
HCI's "A Christmas Carol" will be performed December 13 and 14 for area schools, and December 15, 16 and 17 for the public, at Sutherland Theatre.
