This ‘Fame’ proved too tough to stage

Hickory Ridge High School’s production of “Fame” had the visual glitz of a college or professional show. However, as “Fame” is an extremely difficult show to produce well on a high school level, the actors were not able to supply the polish it requires. While there was talent in the cast, it was not believable that these characters were the chosen 97 of 4,000 who auditioned for the highly selective performing arts school described in the show.

Owen Barber, who played Joe Vegas, was the most engaging actor in this production, although he did not have the strongest vocals. He was charming and charismatic and – though his song “Can’t Keep It Down” was inappropriate for a high school production – he kept the audience doubled over.

There were several other parts of the performance that I considered inappropriate for high school students, such as a student touching his girlfriend. It made me uncomfortable to see high school actors perform this material, even though the characters are high school students.

Despite this, there was no actual kissing in the show. Each time one such moment approached, actors would press their cheeks together, while one faced upstage to block the view. This choice removed the audience from the world of the characters: They had drug problems and other issues usually deemed taboo in high school theater, yet they could not kiss.

“Fame” was blessed with a beautiful set adorned with graffiti, doors, stairs, a balcony and other artwork, which allowed the set to be extravagant without necessarily being realistic. The artwork on the set was so intricate that I constantly found things I had not previously noticed. It was fascinating, though it distracted from the actors. Having such exquisite scenery set the bar higher than they could reach.

The student orchestra added a magical touch to the performance: Whenever a character played an instrument onstage, the audience heard the same instrument played backstage. The music was such a pleasing presence in the show that it had a similar effect as the set; it set lofty expectations for a high school performance.

The cast as a whole was committed and energized, and no one more than Leah Woehr as Carmen Diaz. They executed choreography confidently; Kaelyn Embler, who played Iris Kelly and was also one of the choreographers, danced beautifully and exercised precise control over her body.

Woehr’s singing voice was her haven, but it seemed that much of Carmen’s character was left undeveloped in exchange for her stellar voice. It was difficult to like or even pity the character, because she switched abruptly from conceited queen bee to destitute addict with little in between. She played Carmen’s extremes poignantly but lacked middle ground.

High schools in the Charlotte area have seen many productions of “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Once Upon a Mattress” and “Beauty and the Beast,” but not many productions of “Fame.” I applaud Hickory Ridge’s theater department and its directors for challenging themselves, but “Fame” did not suit the department and was not the right choice for this school.

This story was originally published May 6, 2015 at 5:49 PM with the headline "This ‘Fame’ proved too tough to stage."