Musical boasts talent from 4 schools

Opening night is tonight with tickets available at the door.

The stage is set and the actors are ready for the opening night of “My Fair Lady,” which will premier tonight at Model High School’s auditorium at 7:30 p.m. and is being put on by Floyd County School’s Ensemble Theatre.

This is the fourth year students from all four of Floyd County’s high schools have come together to create a joint production, Director Sherry Childs said. Childs coached the students through their final dress rehearsal Thursday night, giving last minute instructions and wardrobe tips as the students sang and danced before an empty auditorium for the last time.

“This is one of those shows where it is a joy for the audience to sit and watch,” Childs said. “They will be absolutely amazed by the talent on this stage.”

Each year has a theme or a focus the production focuses on she added. This year the focus was to work on accents.

Accents play a crucial role in this production; the entire premise of the story revolves around a poor woman with a harsh Cockney accent trying to change her speech to sound more sophisticated.

“These kids had to learn, from right here in Rome, Georgia, how to speak with a high English accent and a cockney accent,” Childs said. “They are an amazing group of kids.”

She said her favorite part of the production is watching the kids come to the end of the road and looking back at all they have accomplished. She added some of the students on stage will be pursuing theater as a career and this is an amazing experience for them.

Childs wanted to thank several people including her right hand lady Lacey Lionetti for her work on choreography, and Donna Carver for her donation of almost all costumes used in the performance.

“My Fair Lady” will be performed at the Model High School auditorium on tonight and Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and on Jan. 27 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

/ John Popham From left, Hayden Dancause, Simeon Greenburg and Lance Carver perform “With a Little Bit of Luck” as part of Floyd County School’s Ensemble Theatre’s “My Fair Lady Production.” The three are portraying Harry, Alfred P. Doolittle and Jamie.

“You squashed cabbage leaf,” and “I’ll make a lady out of this guttersnipe,” are just a few of the many insults Zac Mitchell’s Henry Higgins throws at Olivia Parker’s Eliza Doolittle. In the play Parker’s character tries to hire Mitchell’s Higgins to teach her how to speak like a lady since her cockney accent keeps her in the lower tier of English society.

/ John Popham Students from the four Floyd County high schools take the stage tonight at the Model High School auditorium for their production of “My Fair Lady.” Director Sherry Childs says the kids have worked so hard for this production and is looking forward to opening night.