For Natick Students, The Show Must Go On — Even In Pandemic

NATICK, MA — A new musical written and produced by Natick students will have singing, dancing, and as much social distancing as possible.

The musical "Twelve Years and What Worth," written by Clay Napurano and Matthew Cunningham, has been in the works for five years. When the writers decided to finally produce the show this year, the coronavirus pandemic hit.

"We were negotiating a contract with a venue, preparing to hold auditions, and spreading the word when COVID-19 forced us to rethink everything," Napurano said.

They didn't shut down production. Instead, they used Zoom to hold auditions and block scenes. The Christ Lutheran Church along Union Street granted the production space to rehearse outdoors. And Napurano took guidance from Gov. Charlie Baker and the Centers for Disease Control on how to keep the cast safe. They wear face coverings and plastic shields during rehearsal — the latter allowing performers to sing clearly.

Napurano describes "Twelve Years and What Worth" as a romantic comedy centered around a modern day public park. The musical contains two dozen original songs, plus choreography. Apart from the cast and the writers, Natick High School students have pitched in to film performances, record live sound, and edit video.

The musical will likely debut in early August, Napurano said, as a filmed version with an accompanying soundtrack. Here's a preview of what the final performance will look like: