SLHSMTA School Highlights: Westminster Christian Academy
Nominated For Outstanding Musical Level 1
Written by 2025 SLHSMTA Student Reporter, Mary Corkery
Bringing a classic to stage April 24-26, Westminster Christian Academy told a story of embracing joy and connection with their production of Hello, Dolly!
For Director Allen Schwamb, the story’s theme of living to life to the fullest drew him to the story.
“For Hello, Dolly! the main thought was about the idea of loving life– about getting as much as you can out of life. I wanted the students and the audience to swim in the message that there is so much to enjoy, and YOU should go and be a part of it!” Schwamb said.
A lively, Golden Age musical, Hello, Dolly! tells the story of a matchmaker at the turn of the century and the people she brings together. The show is larger than life, and Schwamb said that his cast did a great job embodying the enthusiasm of the musical both on and off stage.
“This cast and crew did seem particularly fun-loving. They were the right cast for this show, because they fully believe that life is a ball! They try to make everything a party– they try to make everything a social event! So that shows in their approach to their characters,” Schwamb said.
Beyond its fun, Hello, Dolly! also sends a message about the importance of connecting with and leaning on one another. Schwamb says that the show also reflects the school’s Christian values in the way that it promotes love and unity.
“The need for connectedness that Hello, Dolly! illustrates also echoes biblical truth. Verses such as ‘How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity!’ and ‘A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart’ remind us that connecting with people is important. Healthy relationships are an image of God (who is, in Himself, a living relationship) and an image of the connection He wants to have with us,” Schwamb said. “In a world where it is increasingly easy to feel isolated or become overly reliant on online connections, it is important to realize the value of being there for people in real life—our friends, family, church family, and neighbors. Dwelling together in unity means actually living life together with opportunities to serve and be served, to love and be loved, and ultimately, to share the rich love of Christ in our world,”
Outside of Outstanding Musical, Westminster garnered many other nominations: Outstanding Musical Direction (Schwamb), Outstanding Direction (Schwamb), Outstanding Faculty Technical Execution (Quentin Cockerham), Outstanding Faculty Costume Design and Execution (Dianne Mueller), and Outstanding Ensemble. At the awards ceremony, they performed “Sunday Clothes” in the Outstanding Musical Level 1 medley. The production showcases a lot of the classical motifs, such as the spinning parasols that can be seen during their medley performance. However, Schwamb said the changes the production team chose to make the show were pretty major.
“I think our show was pretty standard– except… we had the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant be blue instead of red! Gasp! Our school color is blue, and we had a beautiful blue dress for our Dolly to wear in that scene, and we wanted her to match the restaurant so… we just went with it!” Schwamb said.
