March has seen a massive wave of success for Lambert’s Fine Arts Program, with a series of outstanding performances at the large group performance evaluation (LGPE) of the choruses, the Shuler Award Recognitions, Governor’s Honors Program selections and so much more. The department’s talented students have showcased their immense commitment and hard work.
The Acting Troupe of Lambert (ATL) assembled an outstanding “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” showcase earlier this semester. Their unique interpretation of the storyline encouraged audience involvement as they could vote, based on their own speculations, on how this unfinished tale ended. The show’s cast put together an intricate narrative channeling characters unlike any they had played before. Senior Ryan Chalmers and junior Roger Wang were commended for their masterful delivery of the complex characters Nick Cricker and John Jasper, respectively.
“The Mystery of Edwin Drood is challenging because it is a show inside a show,” Chalmers stated. “I played the actor Nick Cricker, who played the character Durdles. My favorite part was jumping back and forth between Durdles, who is drunk the whole show, to Nick, a serious actor, and back to Durdles again. The sudden change of character and behavior always seems to create a laugh.”
Wang’s character of John Jasper was also difficult to portray, given Jasper’s multifaceted persona. The seamless transition between portraying Jasper’s inner turmoil and his external facade was considered very challenging to master.
“I’m really proud of the performance I put together for Edwin Drood, and it might actually be my favorite performance yet,” Wang reminisced. “I put a lot of work into the physicality of the character and had so many opportunities to try new things like acting a split personality and performing a really fun, bouncy patter song along with a contrasting dramatic, vocally challenging duet.”
Wang and Chalmers were recognized for their exceptional performances in the showcase through their honorable mention and nomination as Best Actor and Supporting Actor, respectively at the Shuler Awards.
“The Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards or the Shuler Awards (named after Tony-award winner Georgia-native Shuler Hensley) are considered one of the top recognitions for musical theater in the state of Georgia,” Chalmers explained. “Similar to the Oscars, people and schools are nominated for different musical theater categories, such as Best Sound Design, Best Direction, or the highly coveted Best Overall Production. ”
Along with ATL’s incredible successes this month, Lambert Chorale (Advanced Women’s Chorus) members sophomore Madeline Hansen and junior Olivia Howell were selected to participate in the Governor’s Honors Program, majoring in Voice. This broke school records, marking the first time two Lambert students had been selected for the concentration of Voice.
“I had known older kids who had gone to GHP in both my chorus and band settings,” Howell stated. “They had the experience of a lifetime. I decided that I wanted to earn the same experience and opportunity for growth. I hope to make new friends who love music as much as I do and gain as much experience and knowledge as I can. I’m just so grateful to have been selected for this amazing program and I feel that it will help me to go on and pursue music in the future.”
Looking back, the past semester has been filled with unforgettable memories for Lambert Chorus and Theater, marked by outstanding performances and achievements. As the curtains of this school year draw to a close, the audience members wait in anticipation to see what this sensational program has in store for the future.
