Schools

Whiz Kids: Students Produce Musical for Community to Enjoy This Week

Dunedin High School's musical theater department puts on 'Aida: The Musical,' showing Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

's musical theater students debut their long-awaited production of "" Thursday.

"It's the most money we've spent," Durst said. "It's the biggest show and the biggest group of students we've ever worked with in a musical."

This student-produced musical has been two years in the making, said Dunedin High School theater teacher Gerald Durst. Students enrolled in musical theater, costume and stage production classes spent their first year studying and practicing musical theater. Durst said that much of the cost was invested in long-term items such as permanent backdrops and lighting that should also enhance band and chorus performances. 

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"Aida," a Disney-owned, two-act Broadway musical (2000) based on an Italian opera, tells the story of Aida, a Nubian princess held captive as an Egyptian slave. Aida catches the attention of an Egyptian military captain, Radames, who is set to marry the Egyptian princess. He falls in love with Aida before his betrothal and the three characters must face tough decisions that will forever alter the course of history. Original music and lyrics are by Elton John and Tim Rice.

Durst said one of the biggest challenges was overcoming scheduling conflicts.

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"[It's not like the students are] being held to some opportunity where they're gonna get some big, giant break from this specific show," he said. "Although, we have Walker's Rising Stars finalists, we have scholarship winners — I mean, amazing kids are in this show. But when you get right down to it, just as a whole, they're just a bunch of public school students putting together a really amazing show."

Many of the students in Aida at a statewide thespian conference at the Tampa Convention Center. The costumes to be worn in the musical impressed judges, one of whom designed the original costume for which musical theater student Katie Colin based her design. She took home a "superior" rating.

"It's a big, beautiful attestation of why we teach theater in public schools. So it should be a lot of fun. Come see it," Durst said.

The Cast:

  • Rachel Daniels as Aida, captured Nubian princess
  • Adam Zeph as Radames, Egyptian military captain
  • Nicole Kendall as Amneris, Egyptian princess engaged to Radames
  • Keegan Lee as Zoser, father of the Egyptian military captain and Egypt's chief minister
  • Leanard Merchant as Mereb, the Egyptian military captain's servant
  • Brooke Evans as Nahebka, Nubian slave
  • Andrew Lang as Amonasro, Aida's father and king of Nubia

Musical direction is by Rodney Chapman and choreography is by Christopher Lunder of . Durst directs. Senior Corin Davidson co-directs.

Want to go?

  • When: April 21 through 23; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.
  • Where: Auditorium
  • Pricing: General admission is $10. Student admission is $5.
  • More info: .


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