Wakefield Theatre Company’s fall 2022 production is sure to be an exciting experience for everyone involved. They are bringing the beloved, classic fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty” to life. However, there is another factor that makes this upcoming musical so special and unique: it is the North American premiere. This means that the cast must buckle down to make this performance polished, clean and flawless.

Senior Ava Bonner has done numerous productions at Wakefield and knows the rehearsal process like the back of her hand. She understands the ins and outs of their lengthy rehearsals. 

“The first rehearsal we do a read-through, then we learn the music and start to block the show,” Bonner said. “Once we’ve gone through the whole show we just run it and run it and run it until it’s perfect– until we feel comfortable, the director feels comfortable and until it’s a good show that we’re proud to put on.”

Though this process is not much different for “Sleeping Beauty,” the cast and crew still admit that they feel more pressure than usual. Senior and stage manager Kat Welborn has been feeling the stress while getting this performance into fighting shape.

“Because we’re the first people to do [“Sleeping Beauty the Musical”] there’s more pressure on it to be a good quality show,” Welborn said. “It’s more difficult to make sure everybody is staying on task because there is a lot to do and a limited amount of time to do it.”

The pressure these hard-working actors are feeling may end up being a significant benefit to the final product. Junior Jad Bruce believes the added pressure could help improve the acting in the show.

“It forces people to stay on top of their stuff and really understand who their character is,” Bruce said.

Senior Genny Augustin agrees that the intense pressure could be a major motivator to bring the cast together and get everyone to put in 100 percent effort. Additionally, she feels that some new technical elements they’re incorporating into the show can help take it above and beyond the audience’s expectations.

“I think this is going to be one of our best productions because we’re also having special effects and other fun things that I don’t think we’ve had in a while,” Augustin said. “We’re going all out for this and we’re putting in a lot of work.”

Though the rehearsal process for a show that is such a big deal can be tiring, the cast and crew still enjoy getting to do what they love. Welborn shares why she is thankful to be a part of this experience.

“These people have been working extremely hard and I’m extremely grateful to be in a leadership role,” Welborn said. “It’s been a good learning process to have everybody’s ideas be heard.”

All in all, the talented people setting up this production are eager to see their hard work pay off in the end. The cast encourages everybody to see the show, as they believe it will be enjoyable for all ages. For anyone interested in seeing the show, the dates are November 17, 18, and 19. Tickets are available online.

“Before, I thought “Sleeping Beauty” was the most boring show in history, but after reading the script, I think it is a really cute show with a lot of lessons about believing in yourself and finding your own path,” Bonner said. “It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, it’s sad, you are going to get a good experience out of it.”