Portsmouth High School (PHS) students are ready to welcome the community to witness a miracle of talent through song and dance during their holiday production of Miracle on 42^nd Street.

42nd Street follows a group of performers on Broadway who are putting on a show called “Pretty Lady.” The audience will get a sneak peak of the ups and downs when putting on a musical. The cast deals with auditions, injuries, love triangles behind closed doors, writers who try their best and a director who demands perfection.

“I picked this show for its great music and dance potential. When I read scripts over the summer, I always think about the students of the group and what they would enjoy,” PHS’s Emily Crandall explained. “I knew I had a good core group of dancers with a specific skill set of tapping. 42nd street really showcases their tapping and overall dance ability. There are also quite a few familiar tunes within the show that I knew people would recognize and enjoy.”

The students have been hard at work and Crandall is impressed with what they have pulled together.

“The cast is coming a long great! I am so proud of the hard work they’ve put in. We’ve only been rehearsing since October and they’ve been able to accomplish so much in a short amount of time. I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids!”

While most schools focus on a spring musical, Crandall says there are advantages to hosting their show earlier in the year.

“Fall musicals are more difficult because you have to announce the show the first week of school and have auditions right away. You really start the year with a bang and it’s full steam ahead,” Crandall said. “However, I feel it makes my kids more of a family very early on in the school year. Performing a musical each year is the best team building activity you can do for any type of competitive group. I have found that it makes us a better show choir in the winter and spring.”

There are 36 students in the show and the performance group is the select ensemble group from PHS that also does competitive show choir.

“I also have a big group of stagehands, lights and sound technicians, along with a host of amazing show choir moms who pitch in with anything and everything throughout the entire process,” Crandall explained. “I’m very lucky to have such a great support group!”

Miracle on 42^nd Street is November 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. and November 20 at 2:30 p.m. at Portsmouth High School auditoria. Presale tickets are available in the front office of the High school during school hours or you can buy them at the door. Reserved seating is $20, general admission is $10, and student seating is $5.

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved