The Restored class has been hard at work singing, dancing and learning stage combat to prepare for their Sophomore Musical: “The Lightning Thief: A Percy Jackson Musical.” Since the auditions on November 6, this team has been earnestly preparing for audiences to witness their talented cast.
Along with their many rehearsals, the Sophomore Musical (SoMu) team spent some of their spring break constructing and painting the show’s set to bring “The Lightning Thief” to life on stage.
Director Bek Askey has gotten to witness firsthand the relationships and growth that have come from these many months of rehearsals.
“At the beginning it was fun because I was basically throwing groups of talented people who hardly knew each other and said, ‘make me a musical.’ Of course there was more to it, and some who actually knew each other, but it was beautiful to watch them grow more comfortable,” Askey said. “Will Tang and Matthew Terwilliger—my lighting designer and sound/technical director—were planning scenes from our first meeting. There was a magical moment when I realized Josh Ballard, who plays Luke, had years of sword training under his belt. From day one I had a group who blended well together, but now I have a group who builds off of and encourages each other.
A cast that, for the most part, used to be strangers is now a tight-knit family with months of memories in their hearts to look back on after the show is over.
“I have so many good memories [with the cast], but the most recent was last Wednesday. We were running songs with the band for the first time and it put everything to a whole new level,” Askey said. “They were so excited, and that little bit of difference changed the entire atmosphere of the room. Afterwards we ate snacks and talked, and we reflected about the last couple months… I can’t believe how much people have grown and changed in that little bit of time.”
Since last semester, the talent of this cast has mostly been kept within the walls of rehearsal rooms, but now it is the time for audiences to witness the hard work they have put in.
“I want people to come and take a break from the real world. Finals are right around the corner and everyone’s getting busy,” said Askey. Come and see the show so you can forget for one night. “Like Percy, we face struggles every day that can make it feel like we are sinking under their weight. Unlike Percy, we have a Creator who can bear the weight of it all. He’s the only one who can bear its weight. On a side note, I also want people to come and cheer on their classmates who have been working so hard to put this show together.”
The musical has two more showings on April 6 – one at 2:00 pm and one at 7:00 pm. Come out and support the Asbury Sophomore Class and their hard work, see their incredible talent and invest in a longstanding and precious Asbury tradition.
