The musicals of Bellarmine’s past are rolling in their graves. The musicals of Bellarmine’s future are already shaking in their knees. Why? The musical of Bellarmine’s present, “A Christmas Carol,” is preparing to be the best one yet. With a fantastic cast of steady upperclassmen and blossoming underclassmen, this year’s musical is budding with talent ready to be debuted to the Bellarmine community, despite some departmental changes.

This year’s musical features the directorial debut of Maria Valenzuela Lewis, new director of the Drama program.

Maddie Halvorson, senior, is this year’s head stage manager, and though she acknowledges this expected adjustment, she also says that, “Hopefully the department will be able to grow and be better in the coming years.” Still, she wants to encourage everyone to come out and support because she says, “It’s always so amazing to see  your friends doing what they love best, so definitely come out and support them. It’s going to be a really good musical that’s totally worth the watch.”

No matter what happens, there’s never a downside to coming out to support Bellarmine’s theater department.

Stella Gross Shader, junior, will be sharing the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past with Julia Wyman, junior. Gross Shader says, “The show has so much music and dancing which has been really fun to work on. Everyone has worked so hard and the show is so much fun to watch and  be in.”

In the past, the choreography for Bellarmine musicals has always been entertaining, but this year, Gross Shader says they’re taking it up a notch by performing a dance that involves metal chains.

If you’re a dancing fan, make sure you find time to come to the musical. For those of you who

are more a music fanatic, don’t worry. This year’s musical won’t disappoint as, “It has some of the best music with a clear basis from Alan Menken’s other works,” Zach  Forbes, junior, notes. “It’s by the same man who wrote the music of our childhoods.”

Forbes will be playing Ebenezer Scrooge in the musical. He’s been preparing for weeks, just like the other cast and crew members. This is because this year, unlike others, almost everyone in the show will be playing at least two other roles. This will allow everyone to act as many diverse characters.

Forbes said, “Everyone should come and see the show because it is the perfect blend of a ghost story combined with Christmas and giving thanks, wrapping up all three holidays into one grand spectacle.”

That’s a big statement, so be sure to check it out for yourself. Mark your calendars.

The musical will be coming to the stage Nov. 10-12 and 16-19. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets at https://bpt.me/3114569 .

The cast and crew are getting ready (Forbes supposedly will be preparing by “studying other cranky old men”), but we as the audience have a duty too before we enter the house— we’ve got to make sure we’re in the right spirits. It’s never too early to listen to Christmas music, so get that Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey queued up and ready to go to Bellarmine’s production of “A Christmas Carol.”