‘Yee-Haw!’ brings Wild West to Apple Tree Arts

Enjoy an evening on the range in the western adventure musical, “Yee-Haw!,” Nov. 2, 7 p.m. featuring 26 actors in grades one to four at the Great Hall, One Grafton Common, in Grafton. Tickets cost $5 and will be sold at the door.

The actors portray cowboys and cowgirls who as narrators tell the story of the wild west through different  songs’ lyrics. “Usually the lyrics in plays for young children are rhyming and repetitive and easy to learn but in this show the lyrics are complicated and require a lot of memorization,” explained co-director Susan Upham and theatre arts faculty member. “The cast is doing a good job learning the songs as well as how to square dance, twirl a lasso and how to say ‘Y’all come back now y’hear?’ – which is challenging and fun to teach New England children how to say this colloquial greeting,” “Ms. Upham said.

 A few of the songs include “Yee-Haw,” “Giddy-Up,” “The Cowboy Code,” “Under the Stars,” and “Until We Meet Again.” “Home On the Range in Montana” combines the lyrics and melodies of “Home on the Range” and “Home on Montana” so the cast was divided into two groups with each group singing different words and melodies. One of Apple Tree Arts older student actors has a cameo role in the song, “Billy The Bad” which  quickly became a favorite of the young cast.

 Theatre arts faculty member Shannon May is co-directing the show with Ms. Upham. The co-directors are assisted by Juliana Kallio and Sean McGlynn and student volunteer Caelan Laverty. 

Parents are contributing to the production by helping with marquee creation, ticket sales, organizing star grams and coordinating refreshments.

Cast members include John Casano, Lily Chimenti, Eva Ferreira, Daniel Fisher, Victoria Fisher, Mia Gavin, Gregory Gulli, Emily Hall, Addison Hughes, Harper Killoran, Avery Maloney, Keri McDonough, Jessica McIrney, Alexander McManus, Caitlyn Neal, Isabel Ouellette, Josy Pepin, Anish Pochiraju, Kyra Popsuj, Evangolina Racicot, Hannah Reynolds, Kathryn Rowell, Agharva Saxena, Miya Vaillancourt, Maria Luiza Vaz and Natalie Williams.

Apple Tree Arts is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization that has grown to serve over 1,500 children and adults annually with early childhood music classes, group keyboard lessons, private music and voice instruction, ensembles and theatre arts programs. The school provides a wide range of performances, special community musical and theatre arts events year-round.  For more information, visit www.appletreearts.org