6th Grade’s “Beauty and The Beast”

The sixth grade put on a stunning musical performance of the Disney classic “Beauty and The Beast” this month. Their stamina was tested with two special preview performances for their St. Andrew’s peers before the official performances on April 13-14. Thanks to parent volunteer photographer Peggy Keelan, you can view the “Beauty and The Beast” photo gallery here.
Drama teacher Jason Kruger explained the sixth grade musical as “An opportunity for our students to experience an entire theatre production process, both in front and behind the curtain. Auditioning, designing sets, props, and costumes, learning blocking, lines, songs, and choreography, the list continues.”

Sofiya Herter, who played Belle, said, “I love this role because Belle is one of the first princesses to save the prince, and she is one of the most independent, brave, determined, kind, smart, and beautiful princesses ever.” Grayson Coffin, who played The Beast, said, “I enjoyed playing Beast because I have never had a main role and it was really fun to do all of the acting.”

When it comes to musical theatre, there are always challenges along the way. For Sofiya, “There were a lot of challenging aspects, the memorizing, the blocking, even the singing. But the most challenging aspect was the confidence. In the beginning, I wasn’t very confident in my singing, and it was hard for me to sing in front of all of my peers. But musical theater has helped me gain so much confidence and has even helped me grow as a person, so it isn’t a challenge anymore for me.” For Grayson, “The most challenging part was memorizing my lines. Putting on a musical is not easy and takes a lot of work.”

Both Sofiya and Grayson are thankful for their acting and singing teachers, Jason Kruger and Annie Blancken, who helped them succeed in their roles. Sofiya said, “I want to thank Mr. Kruger for believing in me. He always knew I could do it, even when I doubted myself. I want to thank Mrs. Blancken too. A little while before the show, I had gotten nervous and started to lose confidence, but Mrs. Blanken told me I could do it. I also have to thank my mom for always supporting what I love.” Grayson said, “I want to thank Mr. Kruger and Mrs. Blancken for being good teachers, making me better, and choosing me to play The Beast.”
 
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