From March 6-9, 2025, the Riverside Brookfield High School theatre department will be performing “Rock of Ages” for their annual spring musical. Since December 2024, the RB staff involved have been working proficiently to bring yet another successful production to the stage.
The initial idea for “Rock of Ages” as this year’s musical came into fruition during summer of 2024. The decision was made after the fall play auditions that took place a few months later in August. RB theater director Colleen Fischer and assistant director Sarah Johnson do this to get an idea of which students will be involved in the theater program for the year.
“We wanted the opportunity to feature lots of students this year,” Fischer said. “There is so much talent in our theater students, and it is always so amazing when we can feature so many of them.”
When choosing the leads for “Rock of Ages,” Fischer and Johnson take into account the performance in all areas: singing, acting, and dancing.
“As a lead in a musical, they must possess superior abilities in all these areas,” Fischer said. “We also take a look at prior experiences with students as we really look to them as leaders on the production.”
Fischer and Johnson try to make it a goal to rotate time periods and genres each year in order to introduce their students to a new style of music and give them a variety of experiences in high school.
“We’ve been alternating between modern shows and more traditional shows,” Johnson said. “We did ‘Chicago,’ ‘Grease,’ ‘Guys and Dolls,’ and now ‘Rock of Ages’ because we are trying to diversify our offerings.”
RB technical director Earl Baum oversees all of the technical aspects involving both the fall play and spring musical. Baum has been working hard with the students involved in the behind-the-scenes tech for “Rock of Ages” to improve the effectiveness of this production.
“We want to make the sound and lighting look and sound really good in order for the students to get the full experience,” Baum said. “Every show is new in a way that they haven’t seen before, so I want them to focus on getting a nice, loud sound and work on the moving lights we are getting in the auditorium.”
Baum uses his successes with technology in theater in the past to contribute to the things he is working on currently for “Rock of Ages.”
“I have been doing live theatre since 1999,” Baum said. “Every show you learn something new, so I have a wealth of knowledge that I am bringing to the students here at RBHS, and they are getting to benefit from that.”
RB vocal director Kayley Smetana has been making sure the “Rock of Ages” cast is accurate with their vocals and getting the correct harmony that is needed for the production.
“Singing in a musical theater style is very different from pop, rock, or choir music,” Smetana said. “Not only do they have to be singing it accurately, but stylistically appropriate and in a way that makes sense for their character on the stage.”
Smetana is working with the cast alongside choreographer Leah Morrow to find ways to try and engage the audience with the vocals in Rock of Ages.
“If someone is not a ‘sit down and watch a play’ or a ‘monologue’ person, then it’s fun to get them involved with the vocals and the music,” Smetana said. “Especially [when] finding a way to connect to people where theatre is not their thing because it makes them appreciate musical theatre instead.”
