As the curtains swayed and closed the final showing of Cinderella on Nov 19, members of the production rushed backstage in a sea of hugs and tears. Senior Nikki Ranney (‘18), one of the evil stepsisters, recalled that “it felt surreal to me because I’ve been in the shows for all four years. I actually went into a wing by myself and tried to comprehend that the show was over.” After grueling weeks of dress rehearsals and building sets, the BC Theater department had achieved the unthinkable: Cinderella was the first production to have all three shows sold out, making it an even more memorable experience for the seniors.

The show certainly lived up to its expectations with an array of smooth scene transitions and catchy tunes. But one element of the show that captured the hearts of many was what pit member Gene Lee (‘18) described as “magical”: After the show, one could spot a dozen small Cinderella’s making their way through the crowds to take a picture with Lindsey Retzlaff (‘18), the real life Cinderella of the production.

However, despite the magic that the audience may have witnessed on stage, there was just as much action happening behind the scenes. Ranney chuckled as she explained a particular highlight of the backstage chaos. “Ben Kindler (‘19) had a weird song but it was actually more of a rap, so while he was on stage doing this scene, we would be backstage dancing or beat boxing because it was just a really fun scene to watch.” As for the crew members manning the entirety of the set, Margaret Brucker mentioned a few entertaining details that occurred amidst the painting and construction of the scenery. “Every time someone asked a question, no matter what the question was, Andrew Bennett (‘18) would answer with ‘time to get a watch.’” Furthermore, hidden in the depths just beneath the Wilson Center stage, the pit orchestra was also having a blast during every rehearsal break they got. “Jack Magnus (‘18) ended up conducting all of us with a breadstick when we learned how to play the Wii Channel song,” violinist Andrea Grimaldo (‘18) added jokingly.

The production of Cinderella was truly a smashing success; the light-hearted jokes and fun helped to maintain a balance of work and play during trying times of tech-week. Although the seniors were teary-eyed and sniffling at the end of their last musical, each individual knew that each annual production made their high school careers that much better. Grimaldo concluded on a sentimental note. “It could be stressful and definitely took a lot of time, but in the end, everyone’s in it together. I just love that.”