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CV drama takes on ‘St. Louis’

Members of the cast, back row, from left, Kristin McKernan as Katie, Hannah Conley as Mrs. Smith, Michael Braun as Mr. Smith, Ashley VavRosky as Agnes Smith and Kaelee Toth as Tootie Smith, watch as Anna Daines as Esther Smith sings to Dane Ficklin as John Truitt during play rehearsal for
Steve Christilaw Correspondent
Members of the cast, back row, from left, Kristin McKernan as Katie, Hannah Conley as Mrs. Smith, Michael Braun as Mr. Smith, Ashley VavRosky as Agnes Smith and Kaelee Toth as Tootie Smith, watch as Anna Daines as Esther Smith sings to Dane Ficklin as John Truitt during play rehearsal for

This may not be the best time to visit St. Louis, if the World Series is any indicator. Losing four straight games to the Boston Red Sox and seeing the Curse of the Bambino exorcised in the middle of Busch Stadium isn’t the most comforting of sights.

But there was a time. Oh, there was a time.

And you can share a taste of that time beginning Friday night at Central Valley High.

The CV drama department presents “Meet Me in St. Louis,” a tribute to the centennial of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, on Nov. 12-13 and 18-20.

The musical is a huge undertaking, said director Michael J. Muzatko.

“We’re going to have a full orchestra and a 16-foot trolley,” he said, laughing at the thought of a full-size trolley car taking the stage. “Okay, we got a little aggressive on this.”

When you have a $4.5 million facility and a state-of-the-art production facility, you’re allowed to be aggressive.

“Between the cast and the crew, we have more than 60 kids involved in the production,” Muzatko said. “The kids have had to do research on the exposition, and they had to turn in a four-paged, typed, research paper and character biography of who their person would be during this time period.

“We talked about what made this exposition special was the fact that this was the first one where they used exterior lighting: electricity. They built this mammoth fairgrounds, and then they tore it down right after – including the huge marble buildings and stuff like that.

“You’re right there at a Victorian Age on the brink of a change – the Industrial Revolution and the beginnings of electricity. That was a huge shift in our society.”

Movie buffs will recognize the production as a 1944 movie starring Judy Garland, directed by her future husband, Vincent Minelli, a production that heralded a new age of movie musicals and a union that produced a little girl named Liza, with a “Z.”

What made the movie different from earlier musicals was twofold. First, the storyline had nothing to do with show business or the people involved in it, the ground from which earlier musicals sprang. Second, the singing and dancing grew out of the story itself, and in many cases even advanced the film’s plot, a novel approach at that time.

And yes, that includes that memorable lyric:

“Meet me in St. Louis, Louis.

“Meet me at the fair.

“Don’t tell me the lights are shining

“Any place but there.

“We will dance the hoochie coochie.

“I will be your tootsie wootsie

“If you will meet me in St. Louis, Louis.

“Meet me at the fair.”

The plot is simple.

“It’s about the Smith family and it’s 1904. It’s about the Victorian Era and all those social expectations,” the director explained. “It watches the Smith family and their relationships as a family. Remember, this was back when the dad was the head of the family and his word ruled. Basically the story is, they’re getting ready for the world exposition taking place in their back yard and everything else going on around them.”

So, how does a high school drama department mount a production immortalized in film?

“Once they’re cast, I forbid them from watching any movie or listening to any soundtracks,” Muzatko said. “They can watch the movie just to get a sense of the story, if they’re not familiar with the story.

“But what I really encourage them to do is to develop their own characterization of the roles, and that includes the singing styles as well. The singing in this production is very difficult. There is a lot of jazz orchestration in it and that’s not easy for young voices.”

Anna Daines stars as Esther, the Judy Garland role. Dane Sicklin plays her love interest, John Truett.

Muzatko is proud of the performances he’s seeing as the production prepares for Friday’s opening night, and that includes the work behind the scenes.

“We have real accomplished actors in this production,” Muzatko said. Anna is just fabulous in the Judy Garland role. She’s got a voice that just won’t quit, and she’s only a sophomore.

“The production is choreographed by Briane Green. Music direction by Carolyn Jess, and the tech kids have been working very had on this. They get occupational education credit for this. We’re one of about three programs in the state where the kids can get what we used to call vocational education credit.”