By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
If you had the opportunity to live forever, would you take it?
That’s the question at the heart of “Tuck Everlasting: The Musical,” which Plainwell High School will perform from Friday, March 28, through Sunday, March 30.
The Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7 p.m. at the Plainwell Performing Arts Center, while the Sunday show begins at 2 p.m.
This musical, which is based on the 1975 novel by Natalie Babbitt, was one that resonated with Plainwell High School choir director Abby Ernst.
“I’ve always been a fan of the story of ‘Tuck Everlasting,’ and it’s been close to my heart since I read the book in my sixth-grade ELA class,” Ernst said. “And the whimsical setting is such a stark contrast from the past few shows I have directed.
“With this being the first show at Plainwell that I’ve gotten to see all the way through the process, from selection to final curtain call, I knew I wanted to do a show that I really resonate with. After ‘Mean Girls’ last year, I knew I wanted to do a musical with more classical roots and a heartwarming, family-friendly message.”
“Tuck Everlasting” takes place in 1893 and tells the story of 11-year-old Winnie Foster, who decides to run away and end up in the woods. There, she meets the Tuck family, who have not aged since 1803 since stumbling upon a spring that provides immortality to those who drink from it.
Winnie must decide if she wants to ultimately join the Tucks in immortality or continue life as it is meant to be lived.
“The themes through the show are love, family and the preciousness of time,” Ernst said. “This show is truly so special: the music, the set design, the choreography and the story itself.”
Vija Kengis takes on the role of Winnie.
“This year’s cast has been a real pleasure to work with,” Ernst said. “We have a strong group of seniors and returners, but we also have a large group of spitfire freshmen. That includes our lead, Vija, who is playing the part of Winnie beautifully.
“It has been a cool process coaching the students through finding their characters. In our last show, they were basically playing themselves, but this year they are playing a variety of characters ranging in age from 11 to 80, which has been an exciting challenge.”
Members of the Tuck family include Logan Mollitor as Jesse, Maryn Randall as Mae, Avry Asbeury as Miles and Caleb Braybrooks as Angus.
It’s been a fun cast for Ernst to work with.
“One of my favorite parts of directing is seeing those ‘ah-ha’ moments when a student really unlocks an aspect of their performance,” she said.” Every day I watch the students come in and check their troubles at the door and for three hours they get to live in a world outside of their own.
“I especially love when they hype each other up. It’s so cool the first time the rest of the cast gets to see a number that they’ve been working on and they react and cheer so loud for their peers.”
Other cast members include:
- Man in the Yellow Suit: Jackson Kersten
*Mother: Trisha Shuck - Nana: Ava Klann
- Hugo: Milan Mena
- Constable Joe: Allison Holewa
- Principal Dancers: Lydia Roberts (Dance Captain), Clara Cooper, Addison Bohne, Brooklyn Herbert, Vivian Edgell, Avery MacMullen, Savannah Such and Olivia Rowe
- Ensemble (Travelers, Carnies): Samantha Colvin (Ensemble Captain/Lead Voice), Lilah Cutler, Chiara Oriente, Anna Zdarska, Fiona Murray, Sam Emick, Maia Maher, Riley Shuck, Riley Anastasi, Anthony Anastasi, Kiera Callahan, Brody Warner, Carmen Roth, Lauryn Cook, Zoe West, Abby Youngs and Ethan Roberts.
“The audience will be blown away by the incredible set design,” Ernst said. “I’m so lucky to have an amazing construction crew, who really brought the vision to life, complete with a tree growing right out of the stage. When the show begins, they will be transported into a pop-up storybook. The music is chill-inducing, the dancing is magical and the story takes you on a journey.
“You will laugh and you will cry, and leave the PAC with a renewed perspective on the preciousness of love and time.”
Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for students, with children five and under admitted free. Tickets can be purchased at plainwellschools.ludus.com.
“My students throughout this process have been so shocked by the fact that this musical never really gained a huge following,” Ernst said. “It’s a tragedy that we call the ‘Hamilton Effect’ due to the musicals being released the same year and, as we all know, Hamilton overshadowed any Broadway show at the time.
“The opportunity to see this show does not come around often, but it really is an incredible one. Come and see it while you can.”
