![Students surround Dr. Frankenstein who holds a brain in the opening number of Young Frankenstein]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1693493762/paideia/dvddfztw7slb5f7kgqdo/2023_08_31_YoungFrankenstein.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1693493762/paideia/dvddfztw7slb5f7kgqdo/2023_08_31_YoungFrankenstein.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1693493762/paideia/dvddfztw7slb5f7kgqdo/2023_08_31_YoungFrankenstein.jpg","width":560}])
Paideia’s students performed an uproariously funny production of “Young Frankenstein” for the 2023 Student-Run Musical.
"Young Frankenstein" is a musical comedy based on the classic 1974 film of the same name, directed by Mel Brooks. Its story follows Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, a talented but skeptical college professor who inherits his grandfather's Transylvanian estate. Despite his initial reluctance, Frederick becomes intrigued by his grandfather's experiments in reanimating the dead. With the help of a quirky cast of characters, including the whimsical stooge Igor, the housekeeper Frau Blücher, and the lab assistant Inga, Frederick decides to continue his grandfather's work and brings to life a creature just as bizarre as the original monster. The cast wowed audiences with expert singing, dancing and acting.
Led by the directing team of Celia Reed, Brodie Gross and Ari Goodmark - all seniors who have performed in Paideia plays and musicals along the way - the team of show, orchestra and tech directors, and producers and choreographers worked tirelessly for three weeks to prepare the entire cast, crew and orchestra for the opening preview on August 23.
Owen Vaccaro, Samantha McGhee, Arianna Merino, and Maia Pope delivered outstanding performances, and David Leal performing as Igor stole the show with his comedic timing. The live student orchestral accompaniment added a haunting layer with Omair Farooqui on violin, and the tech crew expertly shifted, twisted and turned sets to create multiple scenes and settings.
Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the 2023 Student-Run! Bravo!
The Student-Run Musical began more than 20 years ago with an enterprising group of Paideia students who were interested in producing a musical on their own. It continued as a way for students to have agency and responsibility for a large stage production. Students select and rehearse the musical during the summer and work to design costumes and sets and stage and rehearse the performance. The annual event brings together students and families from across all divisions in celebration of the hard work and talents of Paideia students.