Good News: Curtains, A Musical Comedy Whodunnit, this weekend at GVHS

     A talented cast of singers and dancers supported by an equally talented crew will present Grain Valley High School’s (GVHS) fall musical, Curtains, to audiences this weekend.
     The murder mystery musical was selected by GVHS theatre teacher and director John O’Neil for its fun premise and the challenge it presented for students.
     “I wanted something that was going to be a little bit of a challenge but was also going to be something fun, and something they (the students) would enjoy, so I figured this murder mystery musical would be a good choice,” O’Neil said.
     Audience members should prepare for a lively evening.
         “We have a lot of great dance numbers. There will be a lot of fun characters, and a very large set.”
    “The students have been working hard since mid-September. They are excited to share this with an audience.”
     Junior Maddux Hughes plays Lt. Frank Cioffi, a homicide detective with a passion for musical theatre.
    “I sing a few numbers. There is one where I get to do a really long dance, which is fun,” Hughes said.
     Hughes has acted in several GVHS productions, and says it is the friendships that come from working together that is most satisfying.
     “I like reacting with my fellow actors on stage and the cliché family that forms when you’re working on a production.”
“It’s a challenging show, but we’re doing it really successfully.”
     Looking beyond high school and the theatre, Hughes is planning to attend college to become a history teacher, citing his middle school social studies teacher Mr. Perry and high school teacher Mrs. Carmer as influencing him to pursue a career in education.
     Senior Jack Temples is also a seasoned actor at GVHS. Temples plays Christopher Belling, who he describes as the “sassy British director of this show within a show”.
     One of Temple’s favorite numbers is “Show People” where the entire cast is singing and dancing away.
     “This cast and crew of people are just gelling so well. You can see it in our performance and in the awesome sets,” Temple said.  
     “Shout out to our crew, there is lots of awesome lighting in the show, and lots of great special effects.”
     Temples is heading to KU after graduation to major in biochemistry, with the long term goal of becoming a pediatric gastroenterologist.
     The show runs Thursday—Saturday in the Jerry Mueller Performing Arts Center at GVHS.
     Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students and may be purchased online at www.grainvalleytheatre.org. Tickets will also be sold at the door.

     Note: Due to a home football game on Friday evening, guests for the Friday performance are encouraged to arrive by 6:30pm to allow ample time for parking.