I am a huge Rodgers & Hammerstein fan.  I love many of their musicals – actually, all would be a better word.  Imagine my surprise when my youngest came home from one of his first week’s in high school to let me know that he had signed up for stage crew and the production was “State Fair.”  I was thrilled!

I went to two different performances of the musical – a very ambitious production for a group of kids from 14 to 18 years in age.  The auditorium in the Maine-Endwell High School is questionable in its acoustics.  The sound system the school owns, well not ancient, is best suited for assemblies, not musicals.

Friday night, opening night had an almost full house.  There were some sound problems – singers who were not sure enough of themselves to be loud enough, stepping into a zone too close to something and producing feedback that was enough to make the audience run.  These were minor.  There were a few stage crew errors – not getting signs lifted from one scene to another – but minor also.

The musical itself was wonderful.  The hours, the weeks of hard work by all involved – including some parents who do not even still have children involved – showed and paid off.  The sounds had a sing along quality and everyone enjoyed the production.

If you should want to experience this production, I do have a DVD.  Just let me know.