dances, more inspired choice to do show new to area

By Kyra Smith-Cullen ksinithcullen@dailyitem.com

Shikellamy High School musical director Ellen Boyer said she chooses shows that give students their best opportunity for growth and success, not because she wants them to do a production that hasn’t been done in the Valley before — like when Shikellamy students performed “Beauty and the Beast,” “Crazy for You,” “Once On This Island,” “The Wiz,” “Ragtime,” “The Lightning Thief” and this year's musical, “Tuck Everlasting.”

“For the students, doing something new and different is a great challenge and an exciting prospect because they are creating a show they have personally never seen,” she said.

Boyer said she tries to choose a show that fits her students and provides both a wonderful educational experience for all involved in the production and an interesting, exciting entertainment for the audience.

‘“Tuck Everlasting is a beautiful, touching story and the musical has gorgeous music, exciting dance num-

Jayla Lopez sings in “Tuck Everlasting.” bers, and extremely relatable characters. Additionally, it was the perfect show for the entire family,” she said.

Boyer said she knew how good the musical was going to be at two points in the rehearsal process.

“There is an amazing song called ‘Time Quartet’ which demonstrates both the pain and the responsibility that infinite time has placed on the Tuck family. It is an extremely difficult quartet with counter melodies and intricate voicing. When the family sang it altogether onstage beautifully, I knew they were going to give absolutely stellar performances,” she said.

The second time was one that caught The Daily Item’s reviewer Jove Graham’s attention as well.

“The final ballet showing the rest of Winnie’s story was truly moving,” he wrote.

See TUCK, Page 27