Many associate musicals and dramatic productions with those on the stage, but behind every costume, set and lighting dynamic is additional labor that is just as crucial but often goes unnoticed.
Brighton High School Dramatic Arts has chosen “Frozen,” a story of two princess sisters reigning over the fictional kingdom of Arendelle while navigating challenges associated with coming of age and sisterhood, as the 2026 musical. The beloved Disney movie’s adaptation was recently made available for non-Broadway use, including high school use, and the creative team jumped on the opportunity to run it. With a balanced cast and extensive orchestra, the choice for Frozen as BHS’s annual musical was an easy one. Behind the scenes of the production are many hands at work building sets, painting walls, curating props and organizing the microphones. The hours of work truly add up.
Cast members are required to log twenty “tech hours” in order to ensure the show can go on. This includes poster distribution, set build days and the pit drop (the orchestra pit is a giant elevator that drops down to a larger room for the orchestra to play in). It is crucial for the show’s success that students commit to these tech hours.
In fact, there is a five-dollar-an-hour penalty for any missed tech hours.
The roughly 107 cast members do everything on and off stage, but they aren’t alone in their efforts. A parent volunteer team dedicates their weekends and weekday evenings to the design, construction and finishing of the sets and set pieces, especially with the help of Markus Vogt, the construction team lead who spearheads the construction of everything from Oaken’s little sauna to the massive backdrop wall.
The sets bring the scenes to life; without the multitude of props, the scale of the background pieces and the array of lights and mics, the musical would lose its spark. The BHS musical is an impressive and award-winning program that couldn’t go on without the dedication of students outside of rehearsals. The over 2000 hours put in by students not in rehearsal alone not only makes the musical that much more impressive but that much more sentimental for the cast.
“Set building within the musical is so rewarding! I love being able to put some of my time and effort into something that’s literally bigger than myself. Watching everything come to life from a backstage perspective is amazing! The people you work with as well are always so sweet and full of artistic talent,” said senior and four-time pit orchestra member Racquel Vachon.
A personal relationship with the stage, pit and workshop is created due to the sheer amount of time spent working in them. The students and parents alike also get to know each other more through these experiences, a cohesiveness that shines through in the final production.
“Helping with the set build for the musical makes the whole experience so fulfilling. Not only are we performing for everyone, but we can also look around the stage and see things we’ve built, and it makes a show to be proud of,” junior and on-stage cast member Rowan Hogge said.
“Frozen” is set to air at the Brighton Center for the Performing Arts from March 13-15 and March 20-22, 2026. More information regarding showtimes and tickets is available at https://brightonmusical.com/home.
