Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Portales High School senior Rebekah Christensen, right, portraying Cinderella, meets her fairy godmother for the first time portrayed by PHS senior Maggie Land during a dress rehearsal Monday afternoon.
PORTALES - The magical world of "Cinderella" will come to life on stage this weekend thanks to performances from Portales High School students.
Melody Gallagher, the drama teacher at PHS, said the students have been working on the production since the end of January.
"I'm really excited because they are really well-prepared," she said Monday afternoon during a dress rehearsal. "Now of course we've probably got a couple things to work out, little details, but they're ready, they're ready to put the show on and I'm really excited."
Gallagher said "Cinderella" was selected because it was the best show to allow the students to showcase their talents, and also helps that it's a female-heavy show and PHS is normally short on available male actors.
"The vocal range of the pieces, the colloquialism in the lines, they can relate to it super easily and they deliver it really well and then just the story," Gallagher said. "Everyone knows "Cinderella" and so they get to have their own spin on it and come in and do "Cinderella" themselves."
"Cinderella" will mark the high school's first production since Gallagher joined the staff this school year.
"It's been like drinking out of a fire hose, that's what I tell people because I was hired two weeks before school started never having taught in a classroom before, kind of just being thrown in, and it's been awesome," she said.
Members of the audience are recommended to show up dressed as their favorite prince or princess and will have a chance to interact with members of the cast during a photo opportunity following the show.
"We're encouraging kids of all ages to come dressed up if they want to - tiaras are encouraged - and that just allows them after the show to take a picture with Cinderella or anyone else in the cast," Gallagher said.
There will be four chances to see the show with performances scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, all at the PHS Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students, military or seniors over 60 with ID, and free for teachers with ID and children 5 and under.
"I just want them to come in and have fun, especially the younger audiences," Gallagher said. "Especially on TV and other shows that don't cater to families anymore, this hopefully will be a nice family outing for people."
