From the Desk of the Head of School- April 2, 2021
Dear Parents,
You may have seen the email promoting Seussical, our 5th-8th grade musical. If you weren’t involved directly or even indirectly with the production of this show, you wouldn’t realize what that email represents to those that were.
It’s a miracle.
Last July, we weren’t even sure if there could be a show. Then through the sheer will and determination of Dr. Bell, Mrs. Wilkinson, Ms. Stumpf, Casey Newell, Matt Mangano, and Tracy Abrams, (not to mention our student stage directors, choreographers, lead actors and actresses, the ensemble, and their caregivers) a full length film was made and is now ready for our community to enjoy.
When I say sheer will and determination, I mean it. Here are only a few of the biggest hurdles that needed to be overcome:
- a pandemic and all the mitigation measures that need to be in place, which limited show-critical things like singing, large groups, an audience….
- Lack of a cinematographer - one of the early iterations of the plan had Dr. Bell and his iPhone (inspired by the commercials) running here and there on campus. Thank goodness for Casey Newell who stepped in brilliantly.
- The cast had to pre-record their songs and then it all had to be synced later. Thank goodness for Matt Mangano who donated untold hours to make this happen.
- Quarantines and close contacts that shifted people in and out.
- Rain and snow and hail and 70 mph winds.
- Finally, a hard drive crash that meant another twenty hours of shooting.
We have talked a lot about the design principles that have guided our work this year: connection, preservation, and creation. All three helped drive this project each and every day. So many hurdles, so many roadblocks, so many tempting times to say, “Enough”, yet the show went on. The kids stepped up. Their teachers and parents stepped up. Volunteers stepped up.
Seussical, the Harding Academy version, is a microcosm of what has gone on here each day. It’s beautiful and it’s real and it's creative and it’s simply amazing.
Please enjoy it.
Inspiring The Mind • Nurturing The Spirit