Bethany Pettigrew and Tricia Benn first met when they danced together on the national tour of Cats. Now, years later, having both moved to the South Orange-Maplewood community, they share a stage again, this time as choreographers of "Big," the 2010 CHS all-school musical, directed by Michael Healy.
Pettigrew and Benn have collaborated on the musical for ten years, and each group of students and each play brings particular challenges, "We ask the the students to be very professional," explained Pettigrew. "We work with them the way we would work with any kind of professional group." She noted that the range of performer experience is broad. "We have kids from the Special Dance Company, who have had outside training, alongside those who have never been on stage," she said. "Our job is to make like them all look like seasoned performers by the end."
Though the show is a month away, afternoons find the cast and crew already hard at work on stage and in rehearsal rooms. Benn and Pettigrew, who have been involved in elementary school productions, such as the Marshall-Jefferson Variety Show, find more familiar faces each year. "We have seen some of these kids grow up," explained Benn. "We become invested in them."
And the students return the favor, dedicating time and energy to the annual musical. "We expect them to rise up," said Benn. "And they always pull it off."
"Big" asks a lot of performers and choreographers because, in Pettigrew's words, "We are asking high school kids to be middle schoolers and others to be grown-ups." Indeed, half the cast plays preteens, while the other half plays adults. At a recent rehearsal, cast members were asked to sing at the top of their registers to mimic young children, while two sophomores introduced themselves—despite wearing hoodies and jeans—as "executives."
Benn and Pettigrew are guiding the student performers to show their identity through movement, as it's critical that audience members understand who's "big" and who is not. "We have high schoolers with grown-up physiques," said Pettigrew, "and we're asking some of them to be childlike and more active, or to move with sophistication, in a more inhibited way."
To move correctly, students need to watch closely. "We look to role models in the group," said Pettigrew, "to demonstrate acting choices, character choices, movement choices."
Their role also includes some historic interpretation. "Big" is set in the 1980s—"the olden days," laughed Benn—before the internet. Benn has found herself explaining that the scooters that characters ride in the play aren't the razor scooters of today, and that cell phones were in their infancy.
"There's lots to look for," in this year's musical, according to Benn. With a younger cast, she pointed to "ninth grade energy" and a memorable opening number. Like Pettigrew, she comes back year after year to CHS, no matter what the show.
"It's a labor of love," said Pettigrew. "It's something we can offer to kids in our community, and it's also a chance for people to see what's happening at the high school. The shows have given people an opportunity to come in, to see how wonderful it is."
"Big" will be performed at CHS on March 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. It will also be performed on March 14 and 21 at 2:00 p.m. For tickets, call Columbia High School at 973-762-5600.
