At the beginning of the school year, the drama department at Bow Valley High School really did not know what kind of production they would be able to present because of the pandemic but it is beginning to look very promising.

The show poster actually says Frozen Jr. and performing arts and drama teacher Mrs. Adrienne Fossheim explains, “This particular musical is the one-act version. We are going to be doing it in two acts with a 20-minute intermission which includes a concession and photo booth during that time. It’s all of the same aspects of the larger musical, but just in a compact and more manageable form.” Due to the uncertainty at the beginning of the year as to how much they would be able to do due to COVID-19 they had numerous contingency plans in place to undertake a stage production.

Fortunately, it looks like the production will play in front of a full live audience and that is creating even more excitement around the show. Cochranites of all ages will enjoy the play but young super fans of Frozen, are invited to dress up for the show as their favourite character take advantage of the Anna and Elsas photo booth during the intermission. Fossheim says, “We are thrilled!  We have certainly overcome all odds with this production rehearsing in masks, and our entire show having understudies, students undergoing different quarantines and isolations and to come out of this now and be so ready to go and to actually know that we are going to have a live audience and be able to show off all our hard work, we are absolutely thrilled.”

Even though the show is in compact form, that does not mean that the audience will not be treated to a full cast of all their favourite characters singing and dancing their way into everyone’s heart. Fossheim says, “We have it all we’ve got Anna and Elsa and Olaf and Sven and Kristoff! Let me tell you this production is so much fun it’s huge! We’ve got almost 100 students involved in both the technical aspects of production as well as the performing arts side.” Two other Bow Valley teachers are leading whose leadership is paramount including Miss Williams-Day who is running the tech theatre program with almost 50 students encompassing all aspects of production from costumes, lights, sound, and set building/painting. Mrs.Jackie Cholach is the musical director teaching the students how to sing. Fossheim says, “They sound amazing you can expect all of the familiar songs and five-part harmonies.”

The restrictions of the last two years have been extremely difficult on the performing arts program, and it is especially poignant that the grade 12 students will be able to end their high school career with such a big production. Fossheim says many of the grade 12’s have been in the program since grade 9. “So, to be able to finish off their grade 12 year with a big show is so exciting. They also mentor a lot of our younger students coming up from grades 9 and 10 and that’s one of the big aspects of my program so many students involved. The mentorship opportunities are just wonderful and it’s so fantastic to see all these students working so well together.“

In speaking with some of those students, it is more than apparent that they are proud of the program and incredibly excited about the upcoming show(s).

Grade 11 student Lucy Williamson plays young Anna and says when she found that the production was Frozen, she was super excited. Playing young Anna, Lucy says the hardest part is getting into the character of a 6-year-old girl but at the same time, it is fun to let go of inhibitions that come with being a young adult.

Summer Hull is a Grade 9 student playing young Elsa and while she says she has been in a few plays before, she says it’s amazing to be on stage with everyone in Frozen and adds that this production is by far the most exciting one.

Grade 12 student Scotty Gilbert is a veteran in the performing arts program as this is his fourth and final year at Bow Valley. He says this year is particularly exciting as he has had the opportunity to work on the directorial side of the production as an assistant director.

Grade 12 student Sarah Crossland, also an assistant director and says that as a director you get to boss people around and admits with a chuckle that she is good at that. Sarah is also dancing in the production and helping with the choreography of the show.

Toby Carter, a Grade 12 student is the technical director for the show and although he had a bit of experience from Shakespeare in the Park, this is, as he puts it, a grand undertaking. This year there are 45 students enrolled in tech and Toby says the large team brings with it a wide range of skills that can take on lots of projects from props to set building and so much more.

poster

Other members of the cast include:

Adrianna Rosso as Anna

Megan Crossland as Elsa

Arden Lowe as Olaf

Hayden Fiwchuk as Sven

Tanner Gerhardi as Kristoff

Jon Dickinson as Hans

Plus, a large group of supporting roles.

Opening night is on March 30 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Cochrane Ranchehouse Theatre.

Tickets are available through Eventbrite at $7 for children and $12 for adults.

The other performances are as follows:

March 31 at 6 p.m.

Two shows on April 1 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Two shows on April 2 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Tickets are selling quickly for the highly anticipated Bow Valley High School production of Frozen so to avoid disappointment, get your tickets soon.