CCPA Freshman Performance Project

For the 2025 Spring semester, I had the wonderful opportunity to Music Direct for the CCPA Freshman Performance Project! Our staff for this project was Director Cameron Chase, Stage Manager Kimmy Konkoleski, Assistant Director Maryanne Boaz, and Choreographer Kylie Miller.

We started with a pre-rehearsal meeting to determine what this project wanted to look like, since this was going to be a devised work that did not adhere to a script. Neither Cameron or I wanted the traditional Cabaret style performance where a student would come up, sing, then go back into the line of the rest of the students. We had an idea from a student for duct tape being used for the thematic device, and we ran with that idea. We created a through line by starting with Wilkommen from Cabaret and using the MC as an antagonist character silencing the students throughout the show.

We created themes of oppression, rebellion, acceptance, and support using this one theme, and it culminated in a finale where all students came onstage with duct tape over their mouths and humming “Coda” from The Notebook, then taking the tape off through a moment of realization and singing the acapella section finally free to express everything.

This was an incredibly interesting process since it was my first time being involved with a devised work. Different songs were cut, added, then cut again, then replaced with other songs, and the final product wasn’t set until right before tech. Keeping an open mind for suggestion from the Freshman and directing team was paramount to the success of the piece, and balancing creative ideas from many people was a task in itself.

Performance Order:
Wilkommen - Cabaret
Cash’s Prelude
Love Thy Neighbor - The Prom
Better - Little Women
Finish the Fight - Suffs
Circus - Drew Gasperini
Something Bad is Happening - Falsettos
Not While I’m Around - Sweeney Todd
You Love Who You Love - Bonnie and Clyde
The Children’s Hour
Lifeboat - Heathers
Whispering - Spring Awakening
Run Freedom Run - Urinetown
Heaven on Their Minds - Jesus Christ Superstar
This Is Not How It’s Supposed To Go - Original Scene by Caroline Evans
Coda - The Notebook
I Say No - Heathers
I’m Done - Rocky the Musical
Get Out and Stay Out - 9 to 5
The Normal Heart
Snuff That Girl - Urinetown
Kinder Than Man
You’re Nothing Without Me - City of Angels
So Anyway - Next To Normal
Original Monologue By Christine Eronobi
How Did We Come To This - Wild Party (Lippa)
I’ve Shrunk Enough - Alice by Heart
Rose’s Turn - Gypsy
Coda (Reprise) - The Notebook