Be their guest: HS students stage timeless musical, will host Art Night
The Hot Springs School District will kick off a series of spring fine arts events this week to celebrate a year of students’ hard work and talents, beginning today with the 7-12 grade spring musical “Beauty and the Beast” and culminating Tuesday with District Art Night.
The “Beauty and the Beast” production features over 70 students and will run today through Saturday. Each performance will begin at 6 p.m. at the Hot Springs Junior Academy’s Joyce L. Littleton Auditorium, 401 Emory St., with a special morning performance at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Tickets for the musical can be purchased at the door or online at: https://bit.ly/3UaokQZ Student tickets are $5 while general admission tickets for the public can be purchased for $10.
The musical will take audience members on a journey through the classic tale between Belle and the Beast, played respectively by seniors Danielle Rivera and Nico Martinez. Guests can expect to hear beloved songs such as “Be Our Guest” as well as some newer pieces, not performed in the original film, such as “Me.”
“I took a lot of inspiration from the Disney production,” Rivera said. “It was very interesting to find the sassiness within Belle.”
The students have been hard at work perfecting the production for months and are eager to see the show come to life in front of a live audience. “When we finally got the set together, it was like, ‘Now we really have a show here.’ It’s a proud moment as an actor,” Rivera said.
“I’m always so tired, but I always know it will get good and it will become an amazing performance. Everybody will either cry, laugh, do anything that everybody does
for the different shows, and I think that’s really rewarding about it.” Martinez said. “The hardest part for me was bringing out the character (of Beast), even with the smaller lines.”
As a preshow ritual the cast and crew have a “little show circle with a prayer and good vibes,” Rivera said. The students said they believe they have learned to work as a team throughout the production, from those running the lights and the soundboard to the ensemble dancers on stage.
Both Rivera and Martinez will continue fueling their passion for musical theater in college post-graduation. Rivera will attend Ouachita Baptist University while Martinez will start his collegiate journey at Southern Arkansas University.
Hot Springs School District will also host District Art Night next Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. and admission is free for all guests. “The event will feature a student art gallery, showcasing diverse artistic styles and mediums,” the news release said.
Guests will also be able to witness live performances by the district’s band, orchestra, dance, choir, and theater groups.