The Smoke Signal

By: Staff Writer Monica Tang

Enjoy a night out with your family and friends on Saturday, April 25 at the Universal Performers’ Night on Broadway: Disney Dinner Theater. Beginning at 7:00 PM, the show features popular numbers from famous Disney shows, movies, cartoons, and musicals, such as Cinderella, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Tangled. Tickets are available at the door, but it is recommended to purchase them ahead of time from Drama Teacher Tanya Roundy or online at www.showtix4u.com, since seats fill up quickly. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $17 for students, $15 for those with discount cards, and $10 for children. While watching the performances, attendees may savor a scrumptious dinner consisting of salads, desserts such as cakes and cookies, and pasta with a choice of alfredo or marinara sauce. As Roundy said, the audience can experience an “evening to relax, and enjoy the talent of our kids – just having fun and having a great night out!”

Planning for the event started during the 2013-14 school year when Roundy and the drama students first began brainstorming ideas for this year’s Night on Broadway theme. Disney was the students’ predominant suggestion, but since there weren’t many Disney shows on Broadway, they decided to simply include anything Disney-related instead of focusing on one specific production. Auditions open to all students were held on March 23, and the chosen performers practiced several times a week in preparation for the event.

When asked about her role in the show, Sophomore Bryneth Fuller, who will be performing “He’s a Tramp” from Lady and the Tramp, said, “It’s really fun. The people here are very energetic and funny – they’ve got a lot of jokes to tell… I feel like drama makes life at Mission more interesting, just a little something extra around those APs and Honors classes.”

This year, the Night on Broadway show does not have a script for actors to follow, allowing performers more flexibility in choosing what they want to present to the audience. Senior Akila Cuddalore, who will be singing “The Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book, said, “[People] can just recall all their favorite childhood movies and just sing a song from that…you’re more free to do what you want instead of following the script.”

Visit the Universal Performers’ website at www.msjup.org for more information.