Just 20 years ago, PHS’s annual musical made its first appearance under the spotlight. Today, the stage shines brighter than ever, alive with remarkable talent, creativity, and a sense of community.
PHS musical director Amy Moorhead said it all began when she recognized a need for change. At the time, the former choir teacher held musical revues once every few years and limited participation to choir students. Moorhead said that she wanted an annual musical production anyone could take part in.
“I came to the teacher and said, ‘I think there should be a musical every year. No exception’,” Moorhead said.
Senior Nate McKenzie said that over the years, her vision has laid the foundation for the musical’s continued growth.
“I would say that the biggest difference has been the size of the cast. Grease had such a massive cast, which made it really fun to hang out with so many people and have such a great community,” senior Theo Ferguson said.
Moorhead said that the Grease cast featured 65 student performers.
However, Moorhead said that although musical participation is prevalent now, they faced a setback with the COVID-19 pandemic, causing participation numbers to dwindle.
“Numbers really went down in 2021 during COVID. We rehearsed it online the entire year and about 22 kids stuck with it,” Moorhead said. “We’re a ways from that now, and so we really bounced back numbers-wise.”
McKenzie said that one aspect that hasn’t fluctuated much is the budget.
“The budget that we spend is based on the previous year’s earnings,” McKenzie said. “The last shows have been pretty successful, so we’ve had a bit more disposable income when it comes to sets and costumes.”
Moorhead said that the Alan Harvey Theater, renovated in 2021, marked a significant turning point for the future of PHS musicals.
“In the early years, we were a lot more limited in our old theater; it was kind of ‘lights on, lights off, with a little bit of color,’” Moorhead said.
Ferguson said that this new theater has opened up major opportunities for advancements in production quality.
“My first year in the new theater was my freshman year, and that was big. Over the years, we’ve figured out how to use the lights and sound more—now we have amazing mics and lights that can do all sorts of things,” Ferguson said.
In addition to a new sound system, Ferguson said that live music performed by students has elevated the musical experience.
“My freshman year, we hired people to play music. Then starting my sophomore year, once Mr. Chaix came into this school, he started the pit orchestra made up of students,” Ferguson said.
According to the Piedmont Education Foundation, this year’s production of Grease featured 11 student band and orchestra members.
“It’s super cool to get even more representation and even more people involved in the musical. Honestly, that’s what makes the musical so much better,” Ferguson said.
McKenzie also said that starting three years ago, there have also been vocal directors that have helped them focus on the music and sound good as a unit.
Moorhead said that although the sets may seem similar on stage, the process has undergone a transformative shift behind the scenes.
“Up until the 2016 school year, the sets were built by an outside design builder. That builder did it completely on his own, and students were not allowed to help,” Moorhead said.
Moorhead said that her husband, Bob Moorhead, then took over as the lead set builder that year, taking paint assistance from students and parents on the weekends.
“Later, when the stage production class got going a few years ago, students in that class started helping to build. That’s the first time students started building,” Moorhead said.
Moorhead said that in recent years, as the world has changed, so has the approach to PHS musicals.
“Post COVID, post George Floyd, post Me-Too, there’s more awareness, as there should be, about what are appropriate shows. I work to make the right choices about that, and I hope I make the right choices,” Moorhead said.
Moorhead said that as for the future, she hopes that students will continue to try out the musical.
“I hope the musical will be booming and popular in ten years. I don’t know if I’ll be the one running it, but I really hope there is somebody else that will be here to run it.”
