As the spring musical approaches, preparations are taking place at Calabasas High School. With dress rehearsals officially underway, students across the theater program are working together to bring the production to life. Tickets went on sale February 20, with prices starting at $15.

The costumes crew is currently designing and creating costumes for the performers, while the technical crew has been working on the set for weeks. 

Dana Chen, the costume shop supervisor for the production and a sophomore at CHS, explained her role in managing the costume department.

“For the play production at CHS, I work as the costume shop supervisor, and I manage the costume shop, and I make sure it is organized and clean,” Chen said.

Chen said that while the costumes are coming together, the process is still ongoing as the team continues preparing for opening night.

“The costumes are getting there, but we’re still working. It’s a work in progress because we started late,” Chen said. “But the costumes are coming along pretty well.”

According to Chen, the show features a large number of costumes due to the variety of characters and roles. 

“There are about 100 costumes,” Chen said. “Some people keep the same costume, but others play multiple roles, so they get multiple costumes.”

The costume department uses a mix of new pieces and items from past productions.

“We have a variety of costumes,” Chen said. “Some are store-bought and put together from Amazon, and a lot are pulled from our inventory and altered to make new pieces.”

Sophomore Kaelyn Ramirez, a member of the costumes crew, said the costumes are nearly complete now that the cast has begun dress rehearsals. Ramirez works behind the scenes as a costume technician, helping prepare outfits for the performers.

“I’d say like a third of them we made, and some parts of those we bought new. The rest are from what we already had,” Ramirez added. “Well, since we’re in dress rehearsal, the costumes are basically done because we have to have them done.” 

Yahav Megidesh, a sophomore who plays Horton the Elephant, shared his favorite aspect of Seussical.

“There’s a bunch of big dance numbers with all of the cast, and it’s a big medley of songs, and it’s really cool,” Megidesh. 

Megidesh added another favorite aspect of being a cast member in the play.

Megidesh said, “I think my favorite part is seeing the band and the set come together, and then being able to be on the stage and act on every new thing added.”

Chen said one group of costumes stands out to her among the rest.

“My favorite costumes are the bird girls, because they have the most lavish design,” she said.

Like Chen, Ramirez said the bird characters have some of the most memorable costumes.

“I really like the bird girls and Gertrude and Mayzie,” Ramirez said. “I love them all. They’re such fun costumes.”

Sophomore Sophie Prestegard, who performs in the show as one of the Bird Girls, said being part of the cast has been an exciting experience. She said she enjoys performing one particular musical number with the other bird girls.

“I like ‘Amazing Mayzie’ because it’s fun, and it’s a good number with just the Bird Girls,” Prestegard said.

She added that one of the best parts of being involved in the musical is the sense of community in the cast.

“My favorite part of being a cast member is the people and doing what I love,” Prestegard said.

On March 4, cast members went around the school and into second-period classes to pass out fliers and encourage students to attend the musical. 

Tech week, which began on March 4, marks one of the busiest periods for production so far, as actors and stage crew spend long hours rehearsing and finalizing details. Starting on tech week and continuing through dress rehearsals, meals are also provided for both the cast and crew to help support the long rehearsal days. 

Sean Kim, a freshman at CHS and a member of the pit band for Seussical, shared his experience with balancing school with extracurriculars. 

“Before tech week, there were no issues, but now I just do my homework during tech week when I’m not playing,” Kim said.

Chen said the schedule during production requires a significant time commitment.

“Right now, everybody’s going five days a week and working about three hours after school,” she said. “So that’s about 15 hours a week.”

Ramirez said she also spends several hours each week working on the production.

“I’m there for like four hours every day,” Ramirez said.

Prestegard said rehearsals often take up a large portion of her time as well.

“I’m there more than my actual house,” Prestegard said.

Despite the busy schedule, Chen said watching the production come together is the most rewarding part of the process. 

“My favorite part is watching all the pieces come together and the actors performing,” Chen said. “They’ve come a long way from where they started, and the costumes have also come a long way. It’s nice to see the whole production come together.”

Ramirez added that the colorful design makes this musical especially exciting.

“I love all the colors, and the costumes are so different than Twelfth Night, and they’re way more fun,” Ramirez said.

Prestegard said the music and choreography are also highlights of the production.

“I like the music because it’s catchy and fun to dance to,” Prestegard said.

She added that one of her favorite costume details is the extravagance of each piece.

“My favorite part of the costumes is the glitter,” Prestegard said.

Prestegard said she is especially excited to perform for a live audience. 

“I like performing on stage in front of people,” she said. “That’s my favorite.”

Chen said she is also looking forward to seeing the finished production.

“I look forward to watching the musical the most because then I get to see all the costumes on stage,” Chen said.

Ramirez also said the message of the musical is one of her favorite aspects of the production.

“My favorite part is the message, because even though it’s silly and fun, there is still a really good message behind it,” Ramirez said. “It makes you feel happy and good.”

Prestegard added that audiences will likely be impressed by the technical and visual elements in the show.

“I think they’re really going to like the scenic and technical aspects because they’re really cool,” Prestegard said. “And I think they’re really going to like the costumes and choreography.”

Balancing theater production with schoolwork can also be challenging, especially during tech week.

“During tech week, it’s much more hectic,” Chen said. “Sometimes it’s hard to do my homework because I’m really tired.”

Ramirez said the schedule can become exhausting but manageable.

“It’s really tiring,” Ramirez said. “During tech week, you’re there longer and have less time for sleep and homework, but it’s not too hard to balance.

The musical will run during show week from March 17 through March 21, which overlaps with state testing at school. Each performance will begin at 7:00 p.m., and the production will feature two different casts throughout the week.