CHAUTAUQUA LAKE, N.Y. (WKBW) — It's a musical unlike any you've seen before... and that's not me just being dramatic. Chautauqua Lake Central School actually commissioned someone to write their very own spring musical.
"It's the first time ever that we've decided to invest our entire budget into supporting a musical writer," Secondary Music teacher at Chautauqua Lake Jennifer Davis said.
"Cast Party" was written and composed by Point Park University Professor Adam Wachter, but the show's concept and the final product were inspired by students here at Chautauqua Lake.
"We came up with the idea of having it, like the setting, be in high school," Junior at Chautauqua Lake Raegan Ward said. "And have the cast play people their own age."
So that's exactly what Wachter did. "Cast Party" draws on real life high school experiences and Ward says, that makes the show more relatable.
"My little brother is grounded for vaping," Ward said. "Usually that's not something that happens in a musical."
"We have Noah who is comfortable on stage but has challenges with anxiety," Davis adds.
"These are things [that are] relatable high school things," says Ward.
The musical will premiere for the first time ever on Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m.. It will also premiere on Saturday, March 7 at the same time.
"It's just so fun and special knowing that we are the first ones to do this," Ward said.
"It's something you can look back on in your life and say, 'yeah I did this,' and you can feel really proud of that," Junior at Chautauqua Lake Corrie Kayes said.
And in the future, other schools may be performing the Chautauqua Lake original.
