Eagle's Voice

The Central Regional High School Drama Club is happy to announce their 2026 fall production, dedicated to a famous composer and lyricist: The Music of Stephen Sondheim!

Stephen Sondheim (born March 22, 1930 and died November 26, 2021) is a famous American composer and lyricist of many musicals, such as: Sweeney Todd, Sunday, Into the Woods, Follies, Anyone Can Whistle, among others. The CRHS drama club will be performing a total of 17 songs from these musicals in honor of Sondheim. These songs include: Losing My Mind, Everybody Says Don’t,  Prologue, Sunday in the Park with George, You Could Drive a Person Crazy, among others.

The Music of Stephen Sondheim will have three shows on Friday, November 20 at 7pm, Saturday, November 21 at 7pm, and Sunday, November 22 at 2pm and will take place in the Central Regional High School Auditorium. Tickets will be $10 for adults and $8 for students, children, and seniors. The production will be co-directed by Mrs. Moore, a music teacher who is also a music director for other productions, and Ms. Rafferty, an English teacher who is also the costume director. Mr. Solomon, a History teacher, will run the stage crew. It will follow a structure where there will be spoken lines in between each song. These lines will usually inform the audience about the song and how Stephen Sondheim wrote it.

When asked about why Stephen Sondheim was chosen, Mrs. Moore said, “It was actually the suggestion of one of the students and I thought it was a great idea.” She then goes on to say, “I love doing deep dives into composers. I also love productions where the solos opportunities are more evenly divided. A concert can be tailor made to the students we have and really offer opportunities for so many people to be highlighted and featured. It also gives so many opportunities for them to grow. I love his music and it gives the students opportunities to explore multiple characters.”

Mr. Solomon says what he is most excited about the production and gives details to what some members of the stage crew are responsible for. He says, “I am a big fan of Sondheim! He is one of the great musical composers to ever live, so it is really fun to be a part of a show dedicated to his work. The music is definitely made for theater people. It’s complex and has a ton of hidden meaning. He creates songs that really make you think and allow you to chew on complicated ideas. I’m super excited for the song “Losing My Mind” from Follies.”

“This production has a lighter set, so it is not going to require quite as much from the stage crew, unlike Clue last year,” he continues. “We are looking to create a set with different levels that allow actors to move around it, but we really want the music and the performances to be the stars of this production. Stage crew will move some small set pieces, deal with props, and, of course, work the curtains. Again, this is an easier show to crew. The spring show will give the stage crew much more to do.”

Furthermore, he says, “Lighting and sound are incredibly important. Lighting will set the mood and emotion of each scene, so since this production has a less complicated set, lighting will play a huge role in changing the overall vibe of the show. Both crews will definitely be busy. Of course, you can’t forget sound. Without the people who mix our actors and manage the levels, our show would be nothing.”

Ms. Rafferty expresses her excitement for the production, saying, “I am most excited to expose the students to new music and get them out of their comfort zones to work on growth. I’m also very excited to see some faces of students who have never done theater or are coming back from their theater hiatus. The song I’m most excited to direct is ‘No One is Alone’ from Into the Woods. Into the Woods is one of my all time favorite shows and that song is not only musically beautiful, but it also sends a beautiful message about life: Even when tragedy hits and you feel like you are alone, there is someone else out there rooting for you, waiting to pick you up when you fall, or going through a similar situation.”