Broadway Musical Presented at St. Bernard Prep School

The Heidrich Library Building was transformed into the perfect stage setting as students from the drama department performed the Broadway musical “Into the Woods” recently at St. Bernard Prep School in Cullman, AL. The wooded scenery and transparent rooms set the stage for the musical production presented December 1st through 4th.

“Into the Woods” opened with the stories of Jack (Miss Katie Hawkins) and the Beanstalk, Cinderella (Shelby Bailey/Yoon Choi), and the Baker (Sam Shin) and his wife (Madeline Schweers). It is from the latter two that Red Riding Hood (Jerrica Crawford/Siobhan Russell) got her goodies for her grandmother, and they are the focus of the story. The baker and his wife must enter the woods to assemble the ingredients for a potion required by their neighbor, the Witch (Elaida Dimwamwa), to remove a curse preventing them from having a child. In their search, the Baker and his wife meet up with Jack, Red Riding Hood, and the Wolf (Austin Steele), as well as Cinderella, Rapunzel (So Hyun Park) and their respective Princes. These characters are all busy with their own fairy tales, but each possessed one ingredient for the potion.

Other characters consisted of Cinderella’s Father (Blake Crabtree) and Cinderella’s mother (Yoon Choi / Shelby Bailey), Cinderella’s Stepmother (Jenny Lee). Florinda was played by Abbey André; Jack’s mother (Leslie O’Donnell), Lucinda (Siobhan Russell / Rhiana Griffin), Milky White (Collene O’Donnell), Granny (Bethany Merrill), Mysterious Man (Black Crabtree), Rapunzel’s Prince (Br. David Bryant / Sean Moriarty), Steward (Joseph Rivera). Narrators were Bethany Merrill and Minsang Kim. The Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince were played by Austin Steele.

The Technical Crew consisted of Veronica Arndt, Director’s Assistant and lighting cues; Michael James II, Lighting; Luke Merrill, Lighting assistant; Sean Macfarlane, Sound Board; Ayleana Mami, Music Cues; Jade Bradford, Stage Left Manager; and Jake Lewis, Stage Right Manager. |

The cast was under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Fike. His first year at St. Bernard, this was Fike’s first time directing a musical at the school.

Fr. Joel Martin, Headmaster said, “I saw all four performances and felt like a proud parent each time. How our students make it happen with such little time is a mystery.”