PERFORMING ARTS

THE SECRET IN THE WINGS

By EILEEN LEE

Staff Writer

It is that time of the year again! AHS’ Advanced Drama Department (ADD) has brought yet another masterpiece to present this fall at the Performing Arts Center. This season, the students are performing a show titled The Secret in the Wings, directed by Whitney LaBarge. This is ADD’s first fall production, so many are excited to see what the show has to offer due to its successful performances in the past. The first showing of the play is on the Nov. 19, and showings continue for three days until Nov. 21. ADD has led the students to expect “fantastic music and spectacular sets” in the show , as these effects help the audience focus and indulge in the play better. The Secret in the Wings is not just any other fairy tale, as it contains a darker aspect of these enchanted stories and highlights its unsolved mysteries.

The plot of the play is similar to Beauty and the Beast. It is about a little girl who is left home with a babysitter who has a tail; this babysitter attempts to make the little girl like him by telling her these fairy tales that come to life on stage. The encompassing theme of the play is true beauty and inner beauty.

When asked about the practice routine, senior Annika Lile said, “We have been working since August to make this play what it is today. The week before the show, we have rehearsals from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. It is a lot of work but we are all here because we love it and we want to share our art with the community.”

Annika plays Heidi, an 8-year-old girl. She explained that her role was “initially difficult to grasp” because as an 18-year-old teenager, she had to “think back to [her] mentality in elementary school. It was very interesting for [her] to explore the mind of this character because [she has] never been tasked with a challenge like this before. [She is] enjoying [her] character and hopes the audience will too.”

Annika believes that The Secret in the Wings will bring new elements to Arcadia Stage’s repertoire. “Our play has hilariously comedic moments in addition to intense dramatic moments. There are also songs infused. Some of our blocking even incorporates the large cloths that create gorgeous stage pictures. This show is all about the magic. In a basement, incredibly unique stories come to life with vibrancy and light. I am hoping the audience has a great journey with us throughout these stories,’ she explained.

When asked to explain what the play is about, senior Luis Garcia said, “It is different from Beauty and the Beast in the way that it is about an ugly babysitter with a tail who babysits a little girl. The girl is afraid and resentful of him initially, but Mr. Fitzpatrick, the ogre, tries to show Heidi that people can be beautiful in the inside.”

Luis mentioned that the practice routine was long and rigorous, having to take care of their health and strengths as well. “Everyone in the cast has [his or her] own unique character or characters; therefore we have to do research depending on our parts,” Luis mentioned.

Luis plays Mr. Fitzpatrick in the play, who is the intimidating neighbor with a tail. Mr. Fitzpatrick is in every scene with Heidi. Luis mentioned that because they work together in so many scenes, they have the opportunity to work efficiently and creatively with great team work. “One of the greatest elements that can’t be overlooked is the chemistry I have with Annika, who plays Heidi,” Luis said, adding on that “it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to put on great performances especially when the scenes are a lot more intimate and tender. We have a great understanding of who we are and I know that shines on the stage magically.”

When asked how this play is different from the others, Luis mentioned that he thinks the show is “special but also different” because the audience will “witness great dramatic acting, an amazing set, and dedicated performers who love theater. The [play] is special to me because I’m dedicating this performance to my mother and it is my first lead role in an Arcadia stage production. I’m also a Latino actor that has has been able to accomplish great things in this art form such as winning first place at the Drama Teachers Association of Southern California competition.”

As expected, AHS’ Drama Department once again has an amazing story to perform. Good luck to every member of the cast and stage craft who worked behind the scenes!

elee@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of CLKER.COM

MUSIC MAKES MIRACLES

By ERIC CHEN

Staff Writer

One of the greatest aspects of AHS is the amazingly diverse range of clubs provided on campus. Clubs range from volunteer clubs such as Leo Club to religious service clubs such as A.L.L.I.E.S. With all of these clubs, students can freely explore their interests and find a family that suits them perfectly. One of these clubs — Music Makes Miracles — is specifically designed to support charity through music. This unique organization blends the volunteer aspect seen in many clubs with a dash of music to assist local hospitals and patients. Club co-president senior Danna Xue stated that the purpose of the club is to “connect music with charity by encouraging students to use their musical skills to benefit the community.” When asked what events the organization hosts, she replied, “We usually hold two main charity concerts per year. We are also trying to get connected with local hospitals so that students can perform for patients.” Clearly, giving back to the community is a major priority the club. However, Danna plans on having other goals as well such as creating “ music documentaries of the club members.” She plans on sharing these documentaries with the community as well as the school, using music to promote samaritan views. Through those musical activities, the club “hopes to inspire students to use their musical talents to reach out to the community in different ways.” It also hopes to “share and stress the importance of the arts in society.” When asked about the concerts held by the club, Danna replied, “our performancers generally perform arrangements of popular music and different genres.” Regarding the concerts, cohistorian senior William Kyi, stated that “the revenue is donated to a variety of charity organizations. That is what makes this club so special.”

Music Makes Miracles remains one of the most unique clubs on campus, providing members a twist of both music and community service. Treasurer senior Christina Wang believes the club “is a perfect mixture of Performing Arts and a student-run organization on campus.” It blends the musical aspect of Performing Arts groups into a smaller, more student-centralized setting where anyone can join. Its next concert is going to be in December so be sure to check it out!

echen@apachepowwow.com

Graphic courtesy of SHARPSCHOOL.COM

By TRINITY CHHAY

AHS DETERMINATE

Staff Writer

Band and Colorguard have been practicing constantly, and achieved many awards during the last few parades. The members continue to work extremely hard every day to ensure more achievements in the future. Band members start practice at 7:40 a.m. and play through the first period of the day with another period for Concert Band, as well as after school practices until 9:00 p.m. To get prepared for competitions, they all must arrive on time and do the visual and music parts of their warm-ups. After all the warm-ups, the drum major dismisses each section to go onto the field to perform. Although the rigorous practices take up many hours, at the end of the day, the results are worth it. Each band member works hard and gives 110% when they perform. Freshman Julia Ma commented, “I think it pays off. All the hours we’ve spent during rehearsals, it’s torture at times but it’s all worth it when you perform.” Sophomore Dana Cho added in, “Band members know that once they signed up for band, they signed up for not only total commitment, but their endurance will be put to the test as well. Monday sectionals for two hours, and Wednesday night rehearsals for three and a half hours force people to put their concentration at the highest level. There are times when we are stressed from school, or just life in general, but in rehearsal, we have to be completely focused on what we’re doing: learning new drills, marching at fast tempos, and playing music with emotion. However, all of the rehearsals pay off in the end. Trophies and titles of achievement are good, but what is even more rewarding is the fact that we were able to offer our best in competition and leave the field feeling proud of what we performed. Together.” Members of Colorguard have been working as hard as those of Band. With practices ranging from four to five hours a day, members put all of their energy into their choreography. “Usually two to three hours before we compete, we have a quick rehearsal to have everything fresh in our mind. The team then splits into half, so one half can spin saber while the others practice flags. We spend about an hour and a half then move on to swing flag,” stated sophomore Jessy He when asked about how they prep for competition. Due to the long practices, the members are usually exhausted, but proud of each other and how hard they have worked. “I feel like everyone can definitely improve, but in the end every practice is worth going to,” commented Jessy. “All the adrenaline we build up from practices goes into competitions so it’s worth it in the end,” added sophomore Coco Fang. With both Colorguard and Band focusing hard, there is nothing that can stop them from succeeding in future competitions. Good luck at the Festival of Bands and at the field show Championships SCSBOA!