When members of the Regina community go back into the history of Regina Dominican musicals, the Regina community can remember a variety of musicals that have been preformed, ranging from “The Wizard of Oz” to “Annie.” Every fall, Regina presents a school musical in which parents, students, and staff can support by watching students perform after weeks of practicing.

When asked about the history of Regina musicals, Director Mr. Pligge, stated, “From what I have gathered since I have been here, the history of the Regina musicals is that we try to find the best suited musical to feature as many performers as possible.”

Mr. Pligge also stated that since he has been at Regina, the musicals have always taken place in the fall, up until COVID-19 hit.

Mr. Pligge and Ms. Valadez chose Annie for this year’s musical because after the loss of over 20 seniors who participated in the musical last year, they needed some way to incorporate and feature young talent, so Annie was a great musical to pursue that. The young actors playing orphans in the musical this year, have been a great addition to the community.

Mr. Pligge emphasized that they are in a time crunch because of the loss of time due to conflicts, but he stated, “The theatre is magical and it always works out in the end.”

Ms. Valadez, director of Orchesis Dance Company and dance choreographer, stated, “I enjoy choreographing for musicals because there are so many other theatrical elements to consider in addition to the movement, such as the plot, set design, and characterization.”

Ms. Valadez said that dance choreography is right on track and with the pace of rehearsals and at the end of every rehearsal she posts a video of the choreography, so all performers can practice at home.

Ms. Valadez and Mr. Pligge are both looking forward to the musical being in person because as Ms. V stated, “There is something about the adrenaline of live theatre that makes the experience so much more interactive!”

Although the musical is in person, Mr. Pligge acknowledges that the Regina community is still in the middle of a pandemic and he is following all protocols while producing this musical.

For the first time in many years, an underclassmen received the lead role of the fall musical. Freshman Allison Buck is playing Annie in this year’s musical. Alongside of Allison, Junior Maggy Shaw is playing the role of Daddy Warbucks. Along with the two leads, Vanesa Hoxha will be playing the role of Ms. Hannigan.

Since the beginning of rehearsals, Allison has stated, “I feel very excited and thankful for getting to play Annie. It is such a fun role and I get to spend a lot of time with our amazing cast.” Allison feels a little bit nervous about having such a large role because she explained that the character of Annie requires a lot of memorization and practice. Allison especially loves working with the younger orphans, played by middle schoolers.

When asked about the progress of the musical, junior Maggy Shaw stated, that in a way, she feels in denial because the practice schedule felt so short, yet, she did say the cast and crew have been making dents in learning choreography and their scenes along with their dances. Maggy stated that she can tell rehearsals are going to get more and more stressful as the show gets closer, but she knows the cast can work through it!

Maggy also stated that she knows it will be a weird feeling seeing the auditorium full for the first time in a while. Maggy stated that going into the musical she had almost no knowledge about the role she received, but with the help of Ms. Valadez, Mr. Pligge, and assistant helper, Nora Talaga, Maggy feels that she has been set up for success.

After seeing all the hard work that  the musical cast, crew, director, and choreographer have put into this musical this far, the entire cast hopes to see a large audience fill the auditorium on November 12 and 13!

Fun fact: A furry friend will be joining the cast in Annie! Ms. V’s dog,Reggie will be playing Sandy in this year/s musical!