Choir students will be performing their spring musical, a Shakespearian spinoff, West Side Story, in the CPAC from March 10-20.

According to Dave Pinkham, the production director, choosing the particular musical is an extensive process. “We look at the talent pool and try to determine what kind of a show will take best advantage of the available talent in the vocal music program. We also try to choose contrasting shows from one year to the next, picking different genres and eras as a matter of course,” he said.

Pinkham added that due to the difficulty of West Side Story‘s production, including the music and elaborate dance choreography, it had not been attempted at Campolindo before. He said that due to Campolindo being blessed with “a large and strong group of dancers and a crop of particularly strong male actors this year, West Side Story was a possibility.”

The forces of the music department, drama department, and tech crew all combined to put on a challenging show.

Pinkham enjoys the process of developing the show. “I love what I do – working with students to create a piece of art that they can be proud of and that their parents, friends and family truly appreciate is beyond compare,” he said.

Freshman Will Grubbs, who plays lead role Tony, is participating in his first Campolindo musical. For Grubbs, the hard work put into the performance was made worthwhile by the result. “We have all worked so hard and to actually have a good show that we can perform in front of hundreds of people is super exciting,” said Grubbs. “For that reason I’m actually more excited than nervous because I know how much hard work I’ve put in.”