Big, Bad and Full Of Excitement

Musical Mania has hit Petite School in a big way.

The Spring Musical is a long tradition at the school, and this year, I picked one called Big Bad Musical. The Big Bad Wolf, see, was tried for his crimes against the residents of the Enchanted Forest, but it was declared a mistrial after a giant fell on the jury room during deliberations. Now, the plaintiffs--Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, the Three Little Pigs, and the Boy Who Cried Wolf, to name a few--are suing the Big Bad Wolf in the hopes of getting some of his cash.

You can imagine the puns, the hilarity, and the cuteness.

My cast is in place. I'm allowing younger students to participate--my predecessors limited it to middle school students only, but I have a talented crop of young students and the middle school kids (aside from a crop of fabulous fifth graders that I adore) have not come through with the excitement I'd hoped for.

Today's rehearsal was focused on the Wolf and his entourage, the Wolfettes. I have a teacher playing the Wolf, as we wanted someone tall who could ham it up. I never found a student who could pull it off, so Stephen stepped up with a huge smile and a willingness to have a ton of fun with the role. He's our first grade teacher, and already the kids adore that he's taken this role on.

I have a second grade girl playing the Boy Who Cried Wolf. She doesn't mind taking on a "boy" part. I even offered to change it to the Girl Who Cried Wolf but she is totally fine with her role...and she is hilarious in it. The part is described as "disrespectful little delinquent," and she pulls off her few lines with so much sass and attitude, it's hard not to laugh in delight watching her. My colleague was having a hard time keeping his Wolf-ly composure today, as he sneered a line at her and got a fierce glare and crossed arms in return.

My fifth graders are marvelous--three girls in particular. They are a high-energy bunch who kept me sighing through my laughter in the fall choir class. Now, however, a new maturity is setting in. As they are the oldest students in the production, they've automatically assumed a sort of mentor position--without my telling them to--simply arriving at rehearsal and behaving as examples to the younger kids, who are often super-excited to play around on the stage. Two of them actually attended today's rehearsal even though they weren't require to for the parts we were working. They love being a part of things, helping choreograph and put ideas in. I want the kids to own this musical, so while I have the final say in things as the director, I'm happy to let them come forward with ideas. Often they bring things I hadn't thought of.

Petite School is like no other school I've worked at. The kids are so bright and there's a definite love of learning. They are, of course, like every other kid I've worked with when it comes to high energy and the occasional childish dramas that come and go. But I have so few behavior problems, and the only time I have to get cross with them is when the silliness gets a bit out-of-hand. It's easy enough to rein them in, however, and I honestly enjoy working with all of my classes. I fall into bed Friday nights exhausted but satisfied.

Though I can't promise I won't be sick of "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf," being sung by my five-year-olds, come May. ; )