Middle School Musical Opens to Rave Reviews and Packed Houses

Last week, our talented GPS | McCallie Middle Schoolers took to the stage for four performances of Cinderella: Youth Edition, and boy, were crowds dazzled! A record number of students auditioned for the show, performed with just six weeks of rehearsal time (though you’d never guess).

Seventh-grader Ayla Kellogg earned the titular role, while eighth-graders Daisy Hammonds, Bea Burbank, and Ash Himrod served up laughs as the evil stepsisters and stepmother. McCallie’s Joseph Townley provided a convincing performance as Prince Christopher, and Alex Hammontree wore the crown of the king with. Sophie Grogg ’28 was his perfect counterpart.

Aiyana Steadman ’28 and Company kicked things off with a stellar rendition of “The Prince Is Giving a Ball,” and Tallulah Bechtol ’29 brought magic to each show as Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother.

The remaining 50+ cast members took on a variety of roles and responsibilities, and the student tech crew, composed of middle and upper schoolers, ran the productions with ease. Over the course of the show’s run, more than 950 tickets were sold.

Musical Director Heather Hammond said of the production, “I am thrilled with the way the Chattanooga community showed up and supported our theater program. The cast and the crew did an amazing job. The show was seamless because of their hard work and dedication. The students who participated found a place of friendship and belonging during this production, and I loved seeing how they all grew as performers and technicians in the process, too.”