(PHOTOS BY RICH HARDING, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
Many pre-school and grade-school children have enjoyed hearing the book The Rainbow Fish, written by Marcus Pfister and translated into English by J. Alison James.
This well-loved book was adapted by Austin Zumbro into a musical with script, music and lyrics.
Stryker High School presented this musical on the weekend of March 5, 2022, sharing the terrific moral of the story on stage.
The performance lasted close to one hour and had six characters in the cast: Rainbow Fish played by Aaron Cheeseman, Little Fish played by Tara Noble, Starfish by Jesse Stantz, Ms. Minnow by Kennedy Morr, Octopus, Pufferfish and Hermit Crab by Daniella Cheeseman, and Sardine and Clownfish by Mattias Cheeseman.
It may have been only an hour long, but there were twelve songs performed, with the Rainbow Fish and Starfish stepping into the most solos and the lead parts.
Starfish was quite the comedian and during the performance for the elementary students on Friday, he had the children laughing and clapping for him, with his funny jokes, poor memory and silly behavior.
Director Mrs. Kristi Miehls played the keyboard for accompaniment along with a soundtrack, guiding the students through their songs. Behind the scenes was Emmalyn Westrick, making sure it flowed smoothly.
The set was made by Westrick, Brian and Susan Cheeseman and First Lutheran Church in Stryker. Lights and Sound were run by Mr. Dustin Maroon and Costumes were made by the cast members and their families.
The story line for Rainbow Fish is of someone who thinks they are better than others, comes to a rude awakening when he ends up lonely, gets good advice from others and realizes that happiness comes when we share our lives with others.
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com
