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NBHS grads in Augsburgís ëPirates of PenzanceíBy MaryHelen Swanson Itís the biggest role Iíve ever been in,î said Augsburg College junior Maggie Lofboom, speaking of her lead in the schoolís recent production of ìPirates of Penzance.î Lofboom, a 2001 graduate of North Branch High School, is a music major (vocal) at the college and was extremely thrilled to have had the lead role in the musical. ìItís hilarious,î she said, of the Gilbert and Sullivan operettaís storyline. ìBut itís really tactful humor,î she added. Lofboomís role of Mabel included performing the solo ìPoor Wandering One.î She said it took eight weeks of rehearsal to prepare for the production.ìThere was so much music to learn,î she said. And she said they really had to learn the music in order to rehearse the play. Lofboom said the play was sold out a week before performance. Among those attending the musical were 33 members of the North Branch High School drama club along with advisor Mindy Swanson. ìIt was really great to see them all there,î she said. Lofboom was pleasantly surprised that so many people from North Branch came to the production to show support for hometown students. Still bubbling from the excitement of the recent performance, Lofboom admitted she was tired. Besides the eight weeks of rehearsals, the cast performed the musical eight times over two weekends. ìIím not tired of the show or cast,î Lofboom said, ìjust tired of being tired.î Sheís appreciating the break now. As Augsburg does a musical only every other year, this will be Lofboomís last. Now, she begins planning her personal recital, an hour-long performance that will take place this spring. As a music performance major, she will give a recital both as a junior and senior. Lofboom said graduate school might be in her future plans, but sheís not sure right now what she will do upon graduation from college. ìIdeally,î and she stressed ideally, sheíd like to perform opera. Evan Boyce, a 2002 graduate of NBHS, played the lead as Frederick, in the ìPiratesî production along with Lofboom. ìI feel I grew a lot as an actor and a singer,î Boyce said, ìit went really well.î Boyce, a theater major at Augsburg, said he loved the music. He and Lofboom, as lead roles, did a lot of singing together. Boyceís musical and acting talents were demonstrated when he played Captain Von Trapp in the 2001 North Branch High School production of the ìSound of Music.î Heís been into theater, he said, since he was a freshman in high school and has aspirations now to become a professional actor, maybe in the Twin Cities area. As a theater major, Boyce will continue performing, and he was just cast in another play at the college titled ìMachinal.î Itís a 1928 expressionistic play. Boyce was appreciative of all the support from the North Branch folks and his family who came to see the play. Of his performance he said, ìIím happy with it.î The playís storyline: In The Pirates of Penzance, Frederic was as a child apprenticed to a band of tenderhearted, orphaned pirates by his nurse who, being hard of hearing, had mistaken her masterís instructions to apprentice the boy to a pilot. Frederic, upon completing his 21st year, rejoices that he has fulfilled his indentures and is now free to return to respectable society. But it turns out that he was born on February 29 in leap year, and he remains apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st ìbirthday.î ©ECM Post Review |