Ponte Vedra High School’s production of “Frozen” is set to run Nov. 5-10. Jason Nettle, head of theater at Ponte Vedra High School, spoke about the process of the upcoming production and all of the hard work the students have put in to prepare.
The production is a musical adaptation of the movie and includes all of the beloved original songs, along with some new ones from the Broadway musical which opened in 2018, Nettle said. The cast is excellent and portrays the basic human needs of the characters in the film. The show explores themes of love, sibling rivalry, acceptance, deceit, belonging and reliance.
The musical has a lot of moving parts with a cast of 50, songs and choreography to rehearse, costumes and various set transformations for summer and winter. The students have a lot to juggle outside of rehearsal as well — homework, grades, jobs, family events, etc., Nettle said. He is proud of how much hard work the cast has put into production and their dedication to getting each task accomplished.
The juniors and seniors have grown tremendously over their years in the drama department and are now in charge of some of the biggest tasks. The set design was made entirely by senior Ethan Magnet. Senior Edith Alfred wrote the choreography. Costumes are designed and managed by juniors Mira Sharma and Lucia Ellis, and senior Claire Popp is the assistant director.
Nettle has been teaching for 11 years and understands the importance of encouraging growth.
“My job is to keep pushing them out of their comfort space and challenge them to do something they don’t think they’re capable of doing,” he said.
Nettle believes that this growth will help students to develop the resilience they need to overcome obstacles in life and navigate the world as adults.
“Musical Theatre Ponte Vedra education camp will be performing ‘Frozen Jr.’ with first-through-eighth graders on Saturday of the production run at 2 p.m. where the kids get to perform with the high schoolers on the set and with lights and costumes,” Nettle said.
“Frozen” is an exciting show full of heart and fun for the whole family! Tickets are on sale now. To see show times and purchase tickets, go to https://gofan.co/app/school/FL31834_4.
