Gallery • 6 Photos

Brad Elliot

A tale as old as time played once again to three sold-out performances in Spaulding Theater April 21 to April 23. The cast and crew demonstrated incredible perseverance and dedication in creating something meaningful for them and their audience.
“Musicals are an extraordinary a mount of work for every single person involved – it truly takes a village and every single person on the team showing up for each other, pushing themselves, and elevating the whole,” said Dana.
“Beauty and the Beast” is a metaphor for the transformative powers of love and the importance of first impressions. In this timeless fairy tale, Belle, played by senior Molly Morouse, sacrifices her freedom to free her imprisoned father.
The Beast, played by senior Luca D’Agruma, is a complex character who struggles to overcome his flaws and seeks redemption.

At its core, this classic tale teaches us about the power of love and true beauty no matter what is on the outside; whether they are young or old, male or female, rich or poor, true beauty lies in one’s heart.
“Love can overcome anything,” said freshman Brandon Fuladi.
Faculty advisors and directors dedicated personal time to the production of this show for months, curating everything from seemingly insignificant to more essential details. The cast brought costumes, music, dancing, singing, and acting together.
For several weeks the crew also met on Saturdays to set up lighting, sound, set, and props, as each crew member played a specific role in the preparation of the show.
The ensemble, organized by choreographer Kateri Ransom tackled big numbers methodically.
“Ms. Kat divides us into sections of dancers. For ‘Be Our Guest,’ there’s flatware, china, napkins, and Belle and Lumiere. Ms. Kat took each group one at a time to teach them their section of choreography. Then at the end, we ran the whole song multiple times, figuring out transitions, entrances, and exits,” said junior Grace Trautwein.
The orchestra is another crucial element of the play, which provides musical accompaniment behind the scenes. It sets the tone, immerses the audience in the production, and guides the ensemble in their singing.
However, the orchestra does more than show up and play; they spend months preparing, practicing, coordinating, and collaborating to bring musical ambiance to life.
Second-year orchestra member Kincade Avery explains their process: “You learn your part well, and then a couple of weeks before the play starts, we get together and start playing as a band.”
As the curtains closed on this year’s spring musical, seniors Luca D’Agruma, Molly Morouse, and Katherine Ball took their final bow on the Spaulding Stage, causing them to reflect on all their notable performances throughout their years in theater.
“I’m really grateful for this experience. Leaving Laguna and the Spaulding Stage will always be bittersweet. I care deeply about the cast, crew, and our department. It hurts to know I won’t ever have this moment again,” said senior Luca D’Agruma. “But at the same time, I’m so satisfied, and I’m going to treasure the memories I’ve made with these incredible people throughout my time at Laguna. I know that they’ll make me proud.”