When it comes to bringing a classic musical to spectacular life on stage, you can count on Webster Schroeder High School to do it up right.
This spring, that musical is On the Town, a Golden Age masterpiece by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, which hits the Schroeder stage this Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 5 to 7. It follows three sailors on 24-hour shore leave in New York City in 1944, each looking for romance and adventure, and is famous for songs like “New York, New York” and “Some Other Time.” The show premiered on Broadway in December, 1944 and ran for more than a year.
Schroeder is just one of two schools staging On the Town this year, which in large part reflects that the musical is a rather daunting undertaking for high school students. But Artistic Director Carrie Zugelder knew that — in addition to her current crew of talented students — she had an outstanding group of young actors coming up from Spry Middle School, whom she suspected had the chops to tackle the dance-heavy production.
She was right. As intimidating as the challenge might have been, the young Schroeder actors, singers and dancers have achieved it with characteristic skill, talent and determination, crafting a performance that radiates energy and lingers long after the final curtain.
Even cobbling together the appropriate pit orchestra from students and community members was a challenge in itself. Bernstein’s scores are notoriously difficult, no matter the show. But for On the Town, he had to bridge the large gap between a Broadway musical and a symphonic ballet, while capturing the frantic energy of 1944 New York City. The result is an unusually large pit orchestra (especially for a high school production) heavy on brass, strings and percussion, creating a full symphonic “swing” sound.
It’s pretty fantastic.
I was honored to be able to sit in on a rehearsal, and got to chat a bit with Zugelder during intermission, who shared some interesting background about the production. The 1944 musical adaptation was based on a “Fancy Free,” a ballet choreographed by Jerome Robbins. It was the first integrated musical ever, casting both black and white actors on the same stage — a rather pioneering choice in the early 1940s. A well-known film adaptation was made in 1949, starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, the first musical ever filmed on location in New York City.
This is a don’t-miss show, filled with impressive dancing, great voices, and surprising humor. The photos here (thank you Dresden Engle) capture some of the energy, but you really want to see this show for yourself. As usual, Webster Schroeder Musicals does NOT disappoint.
The curtain rises this Thursday through Saturday, February 5 to 7, with shows at 7 p.m. each night and a 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday, February 7. Click here for tickets.
Thanks again to Desden Public Relations for these great photos!
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(posted 2/2/2026)
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