In late February, the Theater Department, with the help of Irene Kuykendall and Elle Meerovich, began prepping for the production of their spring musical. This year’s show was titled “Emma! A Pop Musical,” and takes the form of a jukebox musical based off of the Jane Austen novel, featuring classic pop songs like “Roar” by Katy Perry and “How Will I Know” by Whitney Houston. The show follows main character Emma Woodhouse, played by Caroline Johnson (‘23), as she navigates her way through senior year playing the role of matchmaker at her school Highbury Prep. Emma specifically is focused on finding a match for a shy sophomore named Harriet Smith, played by Timia Smith (‘25). While playing matchmaker for others, Emma also tries to find a match for herself, torn between Frankie Churchill, a heartthrob pop star played by Grace Dunning (‘25), and Jeff Knightly, a super smart but sometimes know-it-all senior played by Bruce Yanovitch (‘23). Through this process, Emma eventually realizes that people are capable of making their own matches themselves through their own preferences.

This heart-warming comedy seemed like a hit, but it did not go without challenges. First, there were some uneasy opinions about the selection. When asking Johnson about the downsides to the musical, she wrote, “The show we picked this year was a bit unconventional and not as popular as most musicals we’ve done in the past, so it was hard to imagine what it could look like.” Another problem that occurred was scheduling. Jillian Wilson (‘25), the stage manager for the technical side of the production, says, “Everyone was incredibly stressed on opening night because our director had been sick the week before tech week, so we were sorely behind schedule.” They continued, saying that even though they were behind schedule, “...something about having an audience really makes everything fall into place no matter what it looked like the day before.”

Although there were many trials and tribulations, the cast as well as attendees saw the production as a success. Grace Blakely (‘25), who attended one of the shows, stated, “It was a super well-produced show! The singing, dancing, and acting were all on point for the characters!” Johnson says that she “really enjoyed the opportunity to work with a cast with such great potential.” She pointed out how there were only three seniors in the cast, leaving the rest of the cast as underclassmen. She continues, stating, “I’m really looking forward to seeing this group of talented kids grow over the next few years.”

Beyond the lively environment displayed on the stage, the community created by the cast and crew members was a positive one as well. Stage manager Wilson stated that she “absolutely loved hanging out with everyone on show nights. The show provided an incredible, supportive community and they were always so fun to be around.” The high energy of “Emma! A Pop Musical” still looms, leaving great anticipation of what next year’s performance will bring.