BY KAREN BOSSICK
Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo will take the stage of Community School Theatre on Friday and Saturday.
Community School’s Middle School Masque will present Dreamworks’ “Madagascar-A Musical Adventure Jr.” at 7 p.m. Friday, April 28, and 5 p.m. Saturday, April 29.
The musical, based on a blockbuster animated comedy, revolves around a zebra who has grown bored with his routine and enjoins his friends to join him in breaking out of Central Park Zoo to see what life’s like outside zoo bars.
But, alas, the group, which includes a group of zany pigeons, is captured. And, upon awakening, they find themselves in captivity bound for Africa.
Things go off course when they find themselves shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar. But they soon learn that being lost can sometimes lead to discovering where one really belongs.
The play, based on the book by Kevin Del Aguila, features original music and lyrics by George Noriega and Joel Someillan. Among the songs: “I Like to Move It,” “Steak,” and “Penguins’ Sea Shanty.”
“The students absolutely lit up when Madagascar was announced,” said Joel Vilinsky, the seventh-grade teacher who is directing the musical.”And their excitement hasn’t waved one bit since! There is something about playing cartoon characters that ignites their imagination. The energy’s electric.”
The musical features a cast and crew of 45 Middle School students. Nelly Sammis plays Alex the lion; Carter Sammis, Marty the zebra; Ethan Hunt, Melman the giraffe, and Julia Ott, Gloria the hippo.
Other cast members include Etienne Bluberg, Frances Cherp, Amanda Desserault, Norah Dowdle, Amanda Dunn, Bridget Evans, Wyatt Evans, Sydney Felker, Liesl Gerlach, Saba Grossman, Kye Harned, Nils Huss, Nicole Kanowsky, Tanner Lee, Maya Lightner, Logan Lindstrom, Shaw McCoubrey, Bella Maurtua, Priya Merchant, Jack Morton, Logan Pilaro, Colin Pogue, Lola Randolph, Julianna Seymour, Abigail Sheerin, Bridgette Silva, Isabelle Thomson, Parker Turck, Carson Vogel, Alec Wiedemann and Oliver Wiedemann.
The student costume designer is eighth-grader Abigail Sheerin.
Tickets are $5, available in advance at Community School’s Middle School office or by calling 208-622-3960, extension 138. Tickets will also be sold at the door.