Opinion

Senior Column: Warm feelings at “The Big Chill”

I took a break from the mid-February gloom to go to the school auditorium and watch “The Big Chill” performed by an enthusiastic group of 3rd, 4th and 5th grade Island students. What a delight!

This musical, directed by music teacher Lauren Farkas, deals with the hopes and anticipation that school students and faculty share for a snow day. They all have the common wintertime wish for a special day once in a while.

Songs with titles like “The Big Chill,” “Snow Day,” “A Day at Home” and “Seven Feet of Snow” helped crystallize the good feelings that will come with a day to play or to sleep late. The whole cast’s vigorous singing was complemented with solos by Alexis Bartilucci, Dulce Carvajal, Maeve Kyne-Purcell and Jasper Samuelson. 

The weather reporters played by Maeve Kyne-Purcell, Wilson Lones and Liam Sobejana keep everyone up to date with the possibility of a major snow storm moving toward the school district. Their performances keep the tension rising.

The school principal, realistically played by Ari Waife, is the only one who can cancel school. Students hang on every word he says until he makes the final choice to cancel school when the snow comes. Cast members had fake snowballs that they threw into the audience.

Students were skillfully played by Alexis Bartilucci, Dulce Carvajal, Sadie Green-Clark, Regina Kolmogorov-Weisenberg and Nathaniel Overstreet.

Faculty members who artfully added to the anticipation of the snow day were portrayed by Lydia Brigham, Aisley Davidson, Natalie Fernandez, William Marshall, Michelle Martinez, Eliza McCarthy, Lucas Payne-Steinmuller, Jasper Samuelson and Elizabeth Weslek. Kaden Gibbs set up a very believable stage. 

I applaud all the cast members for a flawless production. They were all articulate and poised handling being on stage very well. Congratulations to the director.