 | This Week’s Author Kaeden Dardeen This week’s MAMMA MIA update is written by Senior Kaeden Dardeen. This year, Kaeden is a Senior ITS Troupe #5623 member and portrays the role of Harry Bright in this season’s production of MAMMA MIA! |
Week six is of MAMMA MIA! has come to an end! This will have been our last full week, as a cast, to work on blocking and choreography before our amazing crew member join us next week.
Monday was a significant day because it was our last rehearsal where we solely focuses on our vocals. Our vocal director, Mr. Hutchinson, has been guiding our cast through the ins and outs of the incredible songs within this show. We had a costume check as well. Finishing off the day, we had our first read of the final two scenes of the show. These first reads are extremely important, and with the help from our director, Mr. Bledsoe, and the founder of the theatre department, Kathy Parks, the actors begin to understand what their characters are feeling during the scenes.
Later in the week, Loni, our choreographer, met with the guys of our show and taught them the choreography to the song “Does Your Mother Know.” Cassie Reeves, who is portraying Sophie, helped the dancers and a few cast members finish the routine for “Under Attack” as well. We ended the week incorporating our ensemble into the final two scenes of the show.
This year, I was given the opportunity to perform as Harry. This is my first time playing a named character in one Gibson Southern’s musicals, and it has been a lot of work. Not only do I have to memorize more line and blocking than I have had to before, but I have to adopt an entirely different dialect. This has been difficult, but I have been giving it my all. MAMMA MIA! is one of my favorite shows, and Harry is by far my favorite character, so I’m thrilled that I am able to portray Harry in this years spring musical.
