Just this year, a new musical theater class has been added to the list of courses at Diamond Bar High School. On Nov. 20, students enrolled in Musical Theater showcased their very first performance, “Musical Revue.” The show incorporated the acting, dancing, and singing the students had developed during the past semester into various solos and duets.
The students currently enrolled in Musical Theater, a college-approved course, auditioned last year during second semester. Previous dance, drama, and choir students were encouraged to try out for the course to broaden their theater experience. Taught by dance instructor Janna Lindenburg, choir director Patty Breitag, and drama director Peter Bland, the course guides the students in mastering all three elements of theater.
“We want to help students become triple-threats because that’s what they need to be when performing in musicals,” Bland commented.
During the beginning of the semester, the students worked in class on different songs and dances. Students reenacted scenes from various well-known musicals. Afterwards, the instructors chose a number of acts to compile into the revue. Musical theater will be holding a revue every semester, and next semester’s revue is expected to be longer with more diverse duets and group performances.
“We hope the parents and students look forward to revues, because it’s an opportunity for musical theater students to apply their own takes on musicals. The students get to take on musicals they might have never heard of or dealt with before,” Bland explained.
The course is offered during third period during which the three teachers individually mentor the students on each subject. It is split up so that the teachers teach the students their own expertise at different times. The class provides hands-on and collaborative learning for all students.
In addition to performing in the revue, the students also receive the opportunity to star in next year’s spring musical. As a class, the students work together on different skills and techniques that are needed for performances.
“I think the best part of musical theater for the students, is the performance opportunities. The students also become so much more appreciative of others. The dancers become so much more appreciative of the singers, the singers to the drama students, and same for drama to the dancers. There’s a really great cooperative feeling,” dance coach Lindenburg explained.