I have been taking pictures for the Anderson family for many years – since Spencer was nine. So when Spencer won the lead in Jacksonville High School’s production of the Tony award winning musical comedy Damn Yankees, Melissa contacted me to shoot some pictures at the dress rehearsal. When people would ask me who I was there to photograph, we kidded that I was Spencer’s personal photographer. And I took a LOT of pictures of Spencer! But, since I was there and set up, I took lots of pictures of other performers as well.
I have to say that I was somewhat nervous about this endeavor. Taking pictures of a production on stage with spotlights is out of my realm of expertise. But, I was really looking forward to seeing the performance. I started going to the spring musicals at Jacksonville High School in 1986. For fifteen years the play was a highlight of spring for me. But then life got in the way and I stopped going. What a huge mistake! I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed these shows. Last night I was awed by the talent I saw on that stage – and heard from the pit. These kids dedicate months of their lives to the spring musical. They are committed to putting on the best show possible – and they did. Thanks to the hard work of Mr. Howard (pit band) and Mrs. Zawistowski (director/chorus), Jacksonville High School has once again exceeded my expectations of what a group of high school kids can do.
But enough words . . . here are some pictures.
If you are in Jacksonville and you want a real treat, get a ticket for one of next weekend’s performances of Damn Yankees. You’ll be glad you did!
In a couple of weeks, I will be posting a gallery of all of the pictures I took of the dress rehearsal. The gallery will be password protected. If you are a parent and interested in purchasing pictures, contact Melissa Anderson for the username and password.
