Wilson Middle School staging ‘Frozen’ for spring musical

By Steffanie Costigan - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on April 19, 2024.

Herald photo by Steffanie Costigan Student actors at Wilson Middle School practice a number for their production of "Frozen Jr." set to be performed this coming week.

“Frozen Jr.” the musical storms the stage at Wilson Middle School, community members are welcome to join Anna, Elsa, and other favorite characters from Monday through Thursday next week.

“I hope that they’re transported. I hope when they come in that they’re not thinking ‘oh my gosh,’ but they’re not still just in a middle school gym. These kids are doing fabulous stuff. The blocking on stage is really well done, the singing is right on,” said Wilson Middle School musical director Erin George-Samuel.

Wilson Middle School director Jessica Holthe Edwards shared the experience it has been for the students.

“I think it’s fun to watch the students get into characters who they have grown up with, because these students really have grown up with frozen. It’s so fun to see them work really hard and just learn the first performance that lots of students have been in.

And so that process of them just discovering what theatre really is, and what being onstage looks like and having a character and getting a costume. The whole process has been really fun,” said Holthe Edwards.

One of the students at Wilson Middle School Lizzie Leavitt who plays Anna in Frozen Jr. said the hard work her and her peers have put into the play.

“We’ve been working pretty hard to get everyone into character and portray the roles as hard as we can to make everyone portrayed as best as they can,” said Leavitt.

George-Samuel shared the unique quality Wilson Middle School has in their theatrical productions by incorporating an orchestra. “We’re really excited to present this. Wilson’s has a history of doing something that’s called Collage of the Arts.

We don’t want to just do a musical, we really want to bring all of the fine arts in our building together to make a production as a whole. So, in order to really incorporate all parts,” said George-Samuel.

Including the students within the orchestra, working back stage, and in the cast approximately 108 students are participating in the production of Frozen Jr. In closing Holthe Edwards expressed what the audience can expect.

“I think the best part of plays is that you can put aside (the) world and just go and enjoy a fun performance. There’s gonna be some fun musical numbers. There’s new musical numbers that where not in the movie. That’s something that’s different. So, this is a stage adaptation of Frozen, but there’s new music in it,” she said.

Doors at Wilson Middle School will open at 6:40 p.m. for the production of “Frozen Jr,” community members are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance at https://www.lethsd.ab.ca/our-district/news/post/frozen-jr-set-to-open-april-22-at-wilson-middle-school there will be limited tickets at the door.