Gallery • 14 Photos

Jess Reed

Patriot Productions has returned to the stage in their production of All Together Now!, which features a compilation of perfectly-picked, memorable, well-known songs from many renowned musicals and shows. All three performances on November 12th and 13th had different songs and numbers, which attest to the range of songs the talented students at Freehold Township can perform. Although the dad jokes were corny at times, the announcers for the songs had a lively effect on the audience. The announcers knew how to appeal to a crowd, resulting in the audience feeling more involved and intrigued. Even though the show did not flow the same way a usual play does with one whole plot, the songs still flowed nicely. The sequence of a fun, upbeat song followed by a joke, and then a more emotional song lead the show to be exciting and fresh. Those who enjoy the acting aspect of a usual play might have found the show as something new for the group, however, the crowd could not help but praise the show!

Review of the Saturday Night Show: 

The play opened and close with fun and family-favorite numbers, “Pure Imagination” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray. These upbeat numbers created a lively spirit, which was evident from the beginning to the ending of the show. The show would have not been the same if it were not for the talented Senior Pit Orchestra, led by Jess Reed. They accompanied the cast with the opening and closing numbers, adding another dimension of immersion to the songs. All of the acts were thoughtfully planned out and well done, but there were definitely notable performances that should be acknowledged. Shain Stanley’s performances in “Wouldn’t It Be Lovely” from My Fair Lady and “Matchmaker” from Fiddler On the Roof, with Paige Wehner and Sydney Bryant, showed off her truly talented voice. As said by host Gianna Longo during the show, Shain Stanley does in fact sound like the timeless Julie Andrews. Leona Gagalac in “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins was a truly memorable and remarkable performance. During the song, she not only sang beautifully and encapsulated the Disney-like aspect of the song, but she also spelled out the word while singing! Leona, AJ Tedeschi, and Emily Landolfi led the song with the spirit and charm of the beloved movie. In their solo performances of “Back to Before” from Ragtime and “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables, Piper Doughty and Natalie Moradian’s powerful broadway-like voices left the audience shocked by the level of talent our own Freehold Township students have. Both performers made the audience experience the expressive and dramatic attributes of both songs, leaving the audience intrigued throughout the show. Lia Polisano’s “Gimmie Gimmie” from Thoroughly Modern Millie, showed the audience the range of voice and time in which this performer can do. With the start of the song being slow and gradually increasing in speed, she was able to carry the song through every emotion that Millie was going through. All three soloists previously mentioned did not only act perfectly, but they also sang perfectly too. Additionally, Noah Zalika’s performances in the two completely different songs, “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” from Les Misérable and “Seize the Day” from Newsies, evidently shows the variety of his talents in singing and acting. From expressing the depressive attribute of “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” to the upbeat tempo of “Seize the Day,” both acts were perfectly depicted by Noah. The choreography and backup performers of “Seize the Day” additionally brought liveliness to the number. The newspapers were a great addition and added to the plot of the story sung and danced by the amazing performers. The talents do not just stop at singing and acting; guitarists Dan Loges, Emma De Lucia, and Piper Doherty showcased their instrumental talents in “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” from Green Day’s American Idiot. Furthermore, Dan Loges and Sydney Bryant were a fan favorite in their rendition of “A New World” from Songs for a New World. The teamwork between the two was seen when their voices harmonized beautifully to charm the entire crowd with their duet. The last song, “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” was a perfect, jovial ending of the play, led by Natalie Moradian and Paige Wehner as Tracy Turnblad and Penny Pingleton. The spirit brought by the performers since the play was the last play of the season created a cheerful atmosphere, and was beautifully performed by the ensemble. 

Even with the showcase format different from the usual fall play, the performers still used their performance skills through facial expressions, tone of voice, and choreography. The stage crew, performers, pit, directors, choreographers all worked together to bring the show to life. The production All Together Now! definitely showed everyone what the student body missed out on last year because of the pandemic, however, this showcase shows that the future of the drama department at the township is bright! We all can not wait to see what the drama production puts together for the spring musical!

For the full credits and song list, see the online All Together Now! Playbill here!