HMMS MUSICAL 2024: OMGOODNESS It's been a week since 17 degrees greeted us for recording

So much transpired in the past week, I can hardly keep up! Now, here we are at the start of April break with set building, painting, and finishing touches toward the final push!

I am going to share some pictures of the process on this blog today but first the logistics.

Saturday, April 3rd it was 17 degrees when I arrived with my son for setup and met our sound crew. It warmed up to a balmy 40 but it was a COLD day for sure. At least the sun shone throughout and the smiles on everyone's faces provided extra warmth. At the end of the day, we packed up feeling satisfied with the efforts of everyone! Thank you for getting your children to the school in ample clothing, and with food for the day of work ahead. I ordered pizza for all as an added bonus and I left humbled by the extra work everyone had put in to make this year's show a success!

This week was full steam ahead, we worked every day on tidying blocking, and working out kinks in the show, there will be more when the set is designed and in the new space following vacation but I feel confident that we will get there, this is a hard-working bunch of kids for sure. We even managed to choreograph bows already...say what?!?! AWESOME!

This week, April break has been traditionally set aside for set builds. Last year was the first time in 17 shows I didn't spend the duration of the break on the stage at the high school. It feels both exciting to be going back to the "norm" of set building over break and overwhelming having gotten out of the rhythm last year. I also have just one half of my dynamic duo for set building, thank goodness for Aiden Bettwieser. We will miss my son this year, I know Aiden will, they are quite the team! So glad we have FaceTiming capabilities so their humor and antics will still entertain!

I am going to be putting a sign-up for painting help for later in the week, later in this week on this blog so make sure to watch for that if your children are around and interested in helping with the set design.

Also, tomorrow, if you are around in the morning (I know that is difficult for most because of working schedules) we are moving the large pieces of the set into the stage at the high school, if you are so inclined to lend some muscle, or if you have knowledge of drills and putting things together, we are meeting at 9AM to do the heavy lifting portion of set building. Please email me for details, chapmank@hartfordschools.net

Lastly, you have probably seen the guidance change from Tom DeBalsi at this point but if not here is that email he sent home on Friday the 9th: CLICK - THAT DOC HERE

This means we will no longer be taking temperatures upon return from April Break. Your child will have to have been screened at home before arriving for practices and performances. If you have questions about the specific guidance please email me and if I cannot answer the questions I will forward to the school nurse or principal.

Drop-offs following April break will still be to the end door of HMMS. Any drop-off after 315 will have to be at the High School main entrance this will require texting me to let me know you are running late so someone can let your child in. We will collect the students and take attendance and then walk over as a group to the high school. Pick-ups will now take place outside of the high school main entrance at 5PM.

Do not hesitate to contact me via email or text over break, this is a working break for me and I will be available to discuss if questions arise. Any student traveling over break is on their honor to be particularly strict with the social-distancing guidelines, gathering limits, and masking suggestions. Since Vermont no longer requires quarantining it is our mutual - responsibility to keep everyone in the cast safe and to the ultimate goal of production on May 7th and 8th.

Ticket sales will start, online, Monday, April 19th. Stay tuned!

We have made about $500.00 in donations and t-shirt sales to help offset the cost of the recording from this past Saturday, we are also having to pay for the rental of the individual mics for our speaking parts in the show. Please consider a tax-deductible donation or an ad in the online program for the show. Email me for details. All checks can be made payable to HMMS memo: HMMS Musical. Thank you in advance!

Looking forward to the final weeks! Thank you for everything, Kristen Chapman

Silliness with Snapchat filters, how we entertain ourselves while taking temps

Warming up from the cold recording morning!

Break times look like

Dedication to their craft, Sharpay and Ryan giving it their all!

Hail, Hail the gang's all here.

Trying to rehearse the Monday following outside, we didn't last the whole time it was still pretty cold and windy, but as you can see the kids thought it was much much warmer ;)

Lunchtime, pizza and friends, recording day!

Never fear they carpool together and are "family" thus the closeness of the photo :)

Silly kids! They make me smile!

Always chatting! ;)

A quick photo op! Musicals = memories for a lifetime and extended family!

Still trying to handle the wind and the cold that Monday after our recording...this was right before we gave it up and went inside! They were and have been troopers throughout.