Meagan Patterson…The wait is over! After a long three months Rancho Buena Vista High School’s award winning drama department is back with their new spring musical, “Curtains.” The show starts promptly at 7:30 with dates for the production on 3/16, 3/17, 3/18, 3/23, 3/24, and 3/25. The show costs $12 for adults, $10 for students, and $8 for seniors/kids.

The quality of work that Mr. Scott, Rancho Buena Vista’s drama teacher and show director, produces at Rancho is astounding. Personally, I have never failed to be amazed by the glittering props, unbeatable costumes, and excellent professional acting in Rancho productions. I had the pleasure of seeing “Curtains” opening night and I can easily say it exceeded the high expectations I set for RBV drama.

“Curtains” is a murder mystery comedy about a musical within a musical. It follows the unconventional investigation that occurs after Jessica Cranshaw, the untalented star of the off-Broadway play Robbin’ Hood of the Old West, is murdered during opening night. There is romance, action, and many moments of complete and utter comedic gold.

I was pleasantly surprised after the production and even found myself singing the songs hours after it ended. This musical really highlighted the diversity of the actors. They continually went back and forth between their over the top persona’s in the “fake” production and their more toned down persona’s in the “real” one. As for the music? It was a beautiful mix of traditional musical theater and campy country. The singers were all extremely talented and all had very mature voices one would expect from seasoned artists. There was also a live band that entranced the audience with their various musical instruments. As musical director Lyndon Pugeda put it, “Live music adds a certain energy to a room,” and it achieved just that.

If you attend this musical, you won’t just be seeing a superb show, you will also be supporting a great cause. As RBV Director Mark Scott says, “The arts change lives, empower students, and help kids reach their full potential.” I strongly urge you to see this great musical before it is too late.

For more information regarding the RBV Drama Department go to http://theatreattheranch.weebly.com/

Meagan Patterson is an RBV student intern.  Photos by Meagan Patterson