The 2021 spring musical revue “On Broadway” is officially available to students and teachers via http://bit.ly/avhsfhsmusical2021. This year’s production was a new and fruitful experience.

“We really wanted to make this into a story and not just a bunch of songs and I think we accomplished that. It was fascinating for me personally to see my words acted out,” said theater director Lynn Kirksey.

The 45-minute film was made possible by a terrific amount of teamwork.

“It turned out to be more like a movie. One of the parents, John Loll, has a degree in film production and did some fantastic work getting it ready,” said music director Mark Aubel.

While annually producing a musical is already a continuous learning experience, combining it with film production presented a need for new skill sets.

“There is a transformer on stage left and it hums. That humming was picked up in our straight acting scenes and had to be taken out for each scene. Also, the lighting for a movie is crazy. We used stage lights and at least 10 portable lights! You have to plan for shadows and reflections,” said Kirksey.

The show itself houses performances from a number of popular musicals, such as “Shrek,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” and “Elf.”

“I am so proud that Foothill and Amador came together and gave some students the performance experience. It was not easy staying six feet apart, but we did it!” said Kirksey.

Every new challenge has its drawbacks.

“I would have not put a specific date for completion and the premiere. The reason is that editing took longer than expected and there was an incredible time crunch,” said Aubel.

Alongside the stark differences between film and theater, there remains the unchanging obstacles.

“We needed more rehearsal time, even though this was filmed. The actors needed rehearsal just like it was live theater,” said Kirskey.

So, was it worth it to produce a musical revue movie during COVID-19?

“It was a new experience and challenge to make a movie but we are proud of the ending product,” said Kirksey.

The unity and uniqueness of the 2020-21 school year remains prevalent in the theater department.

“It will be the first ever musical movie that we have ever done.  The actors and musicians will remember for the rest of their lives,” said Aubel.