In a typical school year, Hempfield High School (HHS) would stage a musical in March and a dance theater performance in May. Last year, students performed their production of "Beauty and the Beast" shortly before schools had to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, HHS' dance theater performance was canceled. This year, HHS will combine both theater and dance in its musical, "FAME The Musical."

"FAME The Musical" follows a group of New York High School of Performing Arts students who contemplate concepts such as body image, identity, popularity, friendship, and more. HHS' 2021 production will feature a cast of 80 students and an all-student orchestra of 17 musicians. The show will be directed by HHS choral director and music teacher Alejandro Ramos and stage director/choreographer Cody Smith.

"The show is malleable because it doesn't have a strict story with a certain set of music," explained Ramos. "We have a cool opportunity to present 'FAME The Musical' the Hempfield way."

This school year, HHS had four shutdowns due to COVID-19, and nine of the 14 principal actors in the musical were contact traced and missed three to six weeks of rehearsals. Ramos noted that combining theater and dance was a good decision because it allowed the cast more time to rehearse and prerecord the performance.

As an artist, Ramos said the moment he is most excited for audience members to see is the opening. "It's an intro to a whole story, and all the cast members are on the stage," he said. "It's amazing to see how a little piano melody transforms into a huge ensemble dance break." As an educator, Ramos is looking forward to people having an artistic experience. "I think everyone is itching for something. ... Students are itching to perform, and the audience is itching to watch live theater," he added.

"FAME The Musical" will be available for on-demand streaming from Friday, April 30, at 5 p.m. to Sunday, May 2, at 11:59 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/50196. Viewers must watch the show within 48 hours once streaming has begun.