Mamma Mia! coming to the Wallkill High School stage

By Alberto Gilman
Posted 4/12/23

Wallkill families, friends and students are invited to enjoy a night of music, laughs and love with the performance of the world-renowned production of Mamma Mia! held at Wallkill Senior High School. …

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Mamma Mia! coming to the Wallkill High School stage

Posted

Wallkill families, friends and students are invited to enjoy a night of music, laughs and love with the performance of the world-renowned production of Mamma Mia! held at Wallkill Senior High School.

The classic story of Mamma Mia follows Sophie Sheridan, a young and vibrant girl who in a few days will be marrying the love of her life, Sky. As her special day and her new future draws ever closer, Sophie looks to her past, specifically to the past of her eccentric mother Donna, through her diary. In Donna’s writings, she writes about three men in her life that she became infatuated with. As she has never met her father, Sophie seeks to learn if one of these three men from the writings may be her biological father.

Through a series of hilarious and unforeseen events accompanied by many of the group ABBA’s most famous hits, which helped inspire the play, the story of Mamma Mia sees a young woman discover herself all while the other characters and now members of the Wallkill community are along for the ride. The play was later adapted into a feature film released in 2008.

Over the course of the past month and into the Spring Break week, the Panther Players have been hard at work creating stage sets, learning dialogue, making sure they are in the correct places for their parts and following the directions of the directors and additional crew members. This years seniors of the Panthers Players included Hugo Concha, Olivia Moussot, Isabelle Polchinski and Lauren Weber.

Returning for another year directing the Panthers Players was Director Liz Bailey, alongside longtime Assistant Director Mark Cambalik. Bailey, a former school nurse within the district, has been helping prepare Wallkill students for over the past two decades to take the stage in various productions. Keller Mickle and Chase Spano, both Wallkill and theater department alumni, served as Directing Assistants for Bailey for the spring production.

“I’ve always said, ‘give me kids, animals and music, and I’m a happy camper.’ Being with these kids, and a lot of these kids, I was their elementary school nurse. So to see them now on my stage is like, amazing,” said Bailey. “Here [within the theater dept] they’re allowed to be themselves, to shine and be accepted for who they are. I just love them [the students]. I love them.”

Bailey also thanked Cambalik for his support and his work over the years with preparing the productions for the school. “It’s crunch time. So it’s stressful at times. This is where it all comes together. That’s where the music comes together. That’s where the lights come together. The sound comes together,” said Cambalik. “They’ve [the actors] stepped up, they’ve really stepped up, it’s coming together.”

As the days drew closer for opening night, members of the Panthers Players stopped to express their hopes for the show and welcome all from the community to join and have a good time as they perform.

Junior Makayla Wynn, who plays the lead Sophie Sheridan, shared that she was feeling very confident in herself with her character, her castmates and her crew as they made their way to opening night. With the addition of many new freshmen to the cast and crew, Wynn also thanked them for their work and their talent in helping make the production possible. “I’m feeling really excited for this production. It’s been a lot of work. One of the beauties of high school theater is just the people and the comedy that it brings,” Wynn said. “I’m just really excited for everyone to see the show because we’ve gone through so much as a club together. We see each other more than we see our own families at this point and honestly, we love it. We love what we do. And we’re just so excited to share what we’re doing with everyone.”

Logan Laporta, who plays Sky, joins the Panthers Players for his first production this year and shared that he was both excited and scared but overall excited and was looking forward to performing Lay All Your Love On Me. “ Well, as my first show, it’s very comfortable, like you feel right at home. And everybody’s so helpful. And there’s a lot of help and communication and it works out,” said Laporta. “I want to say thank you to everybody, all my cast, because it’s been such a comforting place.”

Lauren Cambalik, who plays lead Rosie, felt honored to be taking on the role in the production and to share the stage with her family. “After playing so many fantasy parts, and fairytale characters, now we’re actually finally playing real people,” said Cambalik. “At the end of the day we come together and we put on such a great show every year and it’s just always so beautiful to do it with the people you love because these are the people I love.”

Senior Isabelle Polchinski, who plays the lead Donna, and holding back tears briefly, was grateful to all her friends in the club and to be a part of one last show before she graduates. “Here I learned that it is a home and that these people are my family. This is my family and I will carry that for the rest of my life and I love these people,” said Polchinski. “I love all you guys and I’m so glad that everyone’s here and I’m so glad that I’m here and I can’t wait to do this.”

“As a senior, my first and also last year doing this, I’m thankful for everyone who let me in and join and be part of the family that they had,” said Lauren Weber, who plays understudy Donna. “Playing this role has definitely made me more comfortable in just who I am and just being in drama club, in general, has made me more confident and comfortable around people.”

“Theater really opens your eyes to different people. It really brings a lot of different people together from different communities and just everything in general,” said Raine Daunt, who plays lead Ali. “The bonds that you make onstage are different than the ones you make behind the scenes.”

“The shows on a roll, we’re getting to a good spot. And things are looking good.  I think this show is just something that everybody can enjoy,”said sophomore Jono McLaughlin, lead Sam Carmichael. “Expect a ton of fun.”

“I just want April 14 opening night to be here already. It’s so close, it’s so close,” said junior Aaron Baker, lead Bill Austin.  “It’s my first time as a lead. I just want to bring enjoyment for everybody.”

“It feels so refreshing to finally not have to play something like fantasy, you know, it’s nice to finally be an actual person,” said Bryanna Wallace, lead Tanya. “It also makes it a lot easier for me when it comes to costumes and stuff, actually playing the character.”

“There’s nothing like live theater. This is your one chance a year where we get to see people from Wallkill perform for Wallkill,” said Eric Scheerer, lead Harry Bright. “I’m just so ready for everyone to get their shining moment. It’s really going to be something we’re going to remember for a long time.”

The Panthers Players’ spring production opens on Friday, April 14 with a 7:30 p.m. show; Saturday, April 15 with a 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. show; and Sunday, April 16 with a 1:30 p.m. show. A 3 p.m. show for Senior Citizens will be held on April 13. Tickets for children, students and senior citizens will be available for purchase at $10 and for adults $15 for tickets.

Mamma Mia

Wallkill Panthers Players
Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus and some songs with Stig Anderson
Directed by: Liz Bailey & Mark Cambalik
Choreography by: Anita Mcmonigle & Lauren Tuck
Music Director: Hannah Blair
Leads: Sophie Sheridan - Makayla Wynn, Ali - Raine Daunt, Lisa - Lucia Deangelo, Donna Sheridan - Isabelle Polchinski, Tanya - Bryanna Wallace, Rosie - Lauren Cambalik, Sky - Logan Laporta, Pepper - Cooper Heidemann, Eddie - Nate Larson, Harry Bright - Eric Scheerer, Bill Austin - Aaron Baker, Sam Carmichael - Jono McLaughlin, Father Alexandrios - Hunter Annetts and Ensemble - Jaidan Wentworth
Understudies: Sophie Sheridan - Naomi Groth, Ali - Wynne Hunter, Lisa - Adrienne Slivestris, Donna Sheridan - Lauren Weber, Tanya - Kat Holmes, Rosie - Janelle Jusino, Sky - Logan Laporta, Pepper - Nick Petralia, Eddie - Nate Larson, Harry Bright - Eric Scheerer, Bill Austin - Aaron Baker, Sam Carmichael - Hugo Concha, Father Alexandrios - Hunter Annetts and Ensemble - Jaidan Wentworth
Crew: Stage Left Manager - Cooper Heidemann, Stage Right Manager - Sandra Benitez and Stage Hands
Raffaella Bongiovanni, Felix Carpino, Kiera Croce, Luke Fragetta, Ellie Fragetta, Zackary Groth, Cedar Lowell, George Moreno, Denisse Martinez, Nick Petralia, Ezekiel Ramos, Courtney Reynolds, Elena Sindt, Keegan Sochocky and Ryan Thietje.
Pit Orchestra: Cello - Colby Borin, Percussion - Ben Diemoz, Pit Coordinator - Olivia Moussot, Guitar - Savannah Scavarda, Percussion - Brandon Speiker, Percussion - Ian White, Piano - Mathias VonBaeyer and Percussion/Drums - Michael Castellana (Alumni)
Costume Designer: Bernadette Brewer
Set Designer: Lauren Cambalik
Set Designer Assistant: Elena Sindt (Student)
Set Construction Coordinator: Mark Cambalik
Set Construction Crew: Andy Baca, Casey Brink, Gregg Heidemann, Dan Sindt, Kurt Scheerer, George Tobias, Kevin Wentworth and John Wynn
Sound Design and Effects: Ron Bittner
Sound Design Assistants: Orville McLaughlin, Josue Ruiz (Student), John Wynn and DJ Sataira
Lighting Design: Mark Cambalik
Lighting Design Assistant: Danny Zayas
Videographer: Pete Gamma
Production Coordinator: Ron Bittner
Assistant Production Coordinator: Megan Heidemann
Program Cover Art: Lauren Cambalik
Program and Program Ads Staff: Megan Heidemann, Chase Spano and Christina Wynn