Jordan High shares good news about ‘Good News,’ other theatre shows

By Julie Slama | [email protected]

The Broadway hit “Good News” will be performed by Jordan High School thespians this fall.  

Jordan High theatre director Suzie DuVal wanted to do a 1920’s musical written in the ’20s for the year 2020. However, COVID-19 interrupted those plans so instead, the musical is being performed this year.

“It’s a fun story, a lot of dancing, and was revised in 1993 to freshen up parts of it,” DuVal said. “There will be flapper dresses, feather headbands, fedoras and Gatsby newsboy caps—and a whole lot of fun with this authentic ’20’s musical.”

The plot set in the roaring ’20s is on a college campus where football player, Tom Marlowe, fails astronomy. His girlfriend, too busy with her society, gets her nerdy and studious cousin, Connie Lane, to tutor him to pass the class so he can be eligible to play in the big game. However, they fall for one another, and a love triangle develops. To further complicate matters, the football coach, who pressures the astronomy professor to pass his star player, once dated her. 

“There are a lot of subplots to the musical, and great characters and music. Taylor (Sively, the show’s choreographer) is really excited about the dancing this year because last year, we were in a bubble during COVID-19 and couldn’t do much,” she said. “Think ‘High School Musical’ except at college in the ’20s.”

Since there is no recorded track for students to practice with, accompanist Shane Mickelson recorded one for Jordan High. Karley Peterson, the new assistant director, is helping with costumes and choir teacher, J.P. Kentros, is overseeing music direction. Band teacher Brandon Cressall is directing the pit orchestra.

The show will be performed at 7 p.m., Nov. 4-6 and again, Nov. 8 at Jordan High’s auditorium, 95 Beetdigger Blvd. The show on Nov. 5 will showcase the understudies. Tickets are $6 and available at gobeetdiggers.org. 

Staring as Tom and playing for Tait College is senior Ricky Tovar; Connie is portrayed by senior Zoey Slaughter. Babe O’ Day is played by junior Grace Chavez, Bobby Randall by sophomore George Hill; Coach Johnson by senior Eli Tincher and Professor Kenyon by senior Lizzy Davies.

However, before they take the stage, some are part of the school’s Shakespeare team that will perform at the 45th annual high school Shakespeare competition Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Cedar City.

The thespians will perform “Macbeth” as their ensemble piece as well as compete in tech Olympics. The school’s improvisation team, dance ensemble and choir also plan to compete.

Several students submitted videos of their monologues and scenes, which is new this year, and will learn shortly before the competition if they will perform in-person as finalists in those categories. 

A positive look at the change is since there are so many students competing, it reduces students on the campus during the pandemic and not as many rooms need to be cleaned to perform in. However, on the other side, it is “crunch time” when school begins because there are only a few weeks before submission date, DuVal said.

Other upcoming performances include “A Night of Broadway” which features students singing songs from a variety of musicals. That show will be at 7 p.m., Dec. 16 with $5 tickets. That show, DuVal said, will act as a fundraiser for the Beetdiggers so they can invite guest artists to provide workshops for the theatre students.

William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be performed at 7 p.m., Feb. 24-26, 2022 and again, Feb. 28, 2022 with $5 tickets.

On March 7, 2022, a theatre competition showcase—the pieces the students plan to compete at region with—will be performed at 7 p.m. Region individual pieces will be held at Orem High and the one-act competition at Lehi High. State will be in April at Viewmont High.

The season rounds out May 5-7, 2022, with student-directed one-acts to be performed at 7 p.m.