All Aboard!

What a show! All the singing, all the dancing! This spring, the Timothy Christian High School Drama Department performed the classic 1934 Cole Porter musical, Anything Goes! The pit, composed of Timothy band and orchestra students, hit each note with gusto. The cast mesmerized the audience with familiar tunes like “It’s De-Lovely” and “You're the Top."

The Huizenga Auditorium was transformed into an ocean liner bound from New York to London. Aboard were a jaded nightclub singer, a low-level but lovable gangster, a young debutante and her English fiancé, among a host of other passengers. It's a story of mistaken identity, really (really) bad disguises, and wordplay that will keep you chuckling to yourself. But it's the music that fans of the original musical cherish, keeping this beloved musical afloat.

And the Timothy cast nailed it.

“You’d be hard-pressed to think of a better way for our young people to learn about the importance of teamwork and commitment than through being part of a show.”

They mesmerized four audiences with their impeccable voices, hitting note after note of toe-tapping melodies and dazzling dance numbers. The music flowed from the pit backstage, and the cast and crew made it all seem quite effortless.

But that's the magic of the stage. Once the audience is seated and the curtain goes up, all the frenzied preparations, late-night rehearsals, set constructions, costume fittings, and nervous excitement just seem to melt away.

“I know the students and adults worked countless hours to bring the musical to the Timothy community,” Matt Davidson said. “You’d be hard-pressed to think of a better way for our young people to learn about the importance of teamwork and commitment than through being part of a show.”

There are so many lessons theater teaches: teamwork, collaboration, leadership, public speaking (or singing in this case), humility, and above all, grace.

At Timothy, there’s an opportunity for anyone to see if theater is for them—from lead roles to supporting parts, stagehands, construction, musicians in the pit, hair and makeup, costumes, front of house, managers, directors, choreography, lights and sound, concessions, sales and marketing, volunteers, and much more—every role was uniquely critical to the performance.

A natural camaraderie forms, especially after seven weeks of rehearsals. But for Erin Lanenga, the Performing Arts Coordinator, theater isn’t just about the performance—it’s about developing a Christ-centered community.

“The directors do devotions before each rehearsal,” she said. “I want every student to know that we are Christians by how we connect everything we do to the gospel and the truth of God’s Word. In the drama department we value excellence, but we also value the biblical principles of love toward each other, faithfulness, obedience, trust, and discipline. We pray that that is evident in our leadership and daily example above everything else.”

Bravo, Bravo!