N

Westwood Middle School will present “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” March 2-5 at the Manchester Arts Center, 128 E. Main St.

Featuring a cast of about 40 students from Westwood’s 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grades, the show will also feature the College Street Elementary School Choir and the College Street Elementary Steel Drum Band.

Director Tara Winton said this year is her first year at the helm of the school’s annual spring theatre production, and she couldn’t be happier with how the students have brought the show to life.

“It is the biblical story of Joseph, but it is also upbeat and has fun music,” Winton said. “There are a lot of little funny little moments where we sing and this song is a county song and this next song is a calypso number and this song is more French.”

“It is all very upbeat,” she added. “It moves very fast and it is just fun.”

Winton said the theater program at Westwood Elementary School was founded by Karen Lewis at least 10 years ago, and has continued to grow through the years.

“Within the past few years we started offering Theatre I, which is a high school credit to 8th grade students,” she said. “They have to apply and audition to be a part of that class.”

Winton said of the 40 students in involved with the production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” 24 are currently in the Theater I class at Westwood.

Winton said the school puts on one major production each spring in addition to several smaller shows for other students within the school each year.

When it comes time to pick what production to do for the year, Winton said there are several factors she thinks about.

“I take into consideration what kids I have and how many I have,” she said. “I also take into consideration our community and what the community is going to enjoy and what they are going to appreciate and be looking forward to.”

Winton said one of the reason’s she selected “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” for the spring 2023 performance is it would allow a lot of students from the 5-8^th grade levels.

Winton said she believes there is a place for everyone in theatre, and there are opportunities for students with all different skills and talents.

“There are kids who love being on stage, but there are kids that love being backstage,” she said. “(Theatre) has the opportunity for kids that are really good with design work or tech work and technology, or the ones that are really good at talking to people, selling tickets, or handing out programs and welcoming people.”

“My soap box that I get on is that theater is a family, so it is a really good moment to build relationships with people that maybe you don’t know and to just have fun,” Winton said.

For a complete list of showtimes or to purchase tickets, visit www.millenniumrep.org/.