Crowds of students, parents, and members of the local community entirely filled up the auditorium with exhilaration to watch Haverford High School’s Drama Club perform their spring musical, Cinderella last weekend. The spectacular acting, vocals, and dancing were substantially enjoyed by the audience; however, there were many aspects that tend to receive less recognition in making the show as magical as the story itself. The tech crew and pit orchestra were vital components in making Cinderella run smoothly. The tech crew was in charge of many roles, including sound, lights, stage managing, and props, while the pit orchestra provided live music for the show. Entirely student-run, the pit orchestra was led by senior Dylan Hincka and comprised mostly of band and orchestra students. Both of these groups gave Cinderella a professional touch, collectively creating a high-caliber performance.

Many of the visual details of the musical were attributed to Props, one of the many different parts of tech crew. Senior Amanda Carano has been a member of Props since her freshman year. She not only creates props for the shows, but she also leads the role of tech liaison on the Drama Board. Amanda Carano’s favorite part of being involved in props is seeing her creations come to life onstage. “I always look forward to watching how the shows come together!” Carano says of her experience in tech.

Another member of Props, freshman Grace McAlexander also described her experience of being in the tech crew. “My favorite part of tech is having a creative outlet and meeting all the great people,” McAlexander says of her first year in the high school’s Drama Club. She enjoys seeing her contributions to the musical utilized for the performance and looks forward to pursuing her love of theatre and tech for many years to come.

Along with the tech crew’s preparations for the show, the pit orchestra also spent much time practicing the music that was performed live during Cinderella. Not only did the musicians of the orchestra play the instrumentation for each song in the show, but they also played “vamps,” which occurred while the actors were speaking.

Senior Carl Nelson-Poteet played flute during Cinderella, which was the second musical he played in at Haverford. “One of the most important things we do is set and keep the tempo for the songs and follow the actors,” he explained of the pit orchestra’s role in the show. Therefore, the pit orchestra provided the show with the musicality that was pivotal in the performance.

Overall, there was a large amount of preparation and behind-the-scenes production that enabled such a beautiful execution of Cinderella. In addition to the actors, dancers, and singers, who gave four phenomenal performances last week, the pit orchestra and tech crew’s indispensable contribution to the musical collectively made the show entertaining for audience members. For more information about Haverford Drama Club, visit: https://sites.google.com/view/haverforddramaclub/home?authuser=0.