Making Music with Colin McAdoo The Return of the Musical, Club Style

This past spring, the tradition of the Middle School Musical returned in an opt-in club format, and Benchmark alum Colin McAdoo ’98 came back to help make it happen. The musical called Doing Nothing Together featured a variety of music woven into a story created by Colin and the students in the club.

Our actors were Jayson Blum ’23, Mac Cahill ’23, Avery McMahon ’23, Penelope Prinbeck ’25, Isabelle Quinn ’25, and Maddie Siravo ’25, and our tech crew was Laz Scheibe ’23 and Myles Silber ’23. Doing Nothing Together debuted on April 14, 2023.

While on campus, Colin took some time to speak about the experience.

How does it feel to be back on campus as a director?

I always love coming back to visit Benchmark. I consider so many of the teachers here dear friends and coming back to direct or teach makes everything that much more enjoyable. I love directing and choreographing as much as I do singing and dancing. What makes it doubly special is being able to share this craft with the students and the Benchmark community where I first fell in love with the theater.

What was it like working with this group of kids?

This group of students is particularly special. First of all, they signed up for this in their free time. Second, I believe none of them have ever seen a Benchmark musical due to the changes and challenges of the last couple years. So the fact that they took a risk to come out for this speaks volumes about their character and heart. They also worked incredibly hard and I think people will be blown away by what they have accomplished because these students are simply that amazing.

How and why did you decide to create your own show?

After talking with Dr. MacDonald, Dr. Gensemer, and Mr. Hancock, I felt that we should wait to see who signed up and start a conversation with the actors about what story they want to tell. I felt a traditional book musical was maybe too aggressive. I quickly found that all the students had wonderful ideas. I put the ideas into a story, picked songs that could fit, taught the music, and then taught the steps.

How would you describe the show to people who will have missed seeing it?

A group of students break into the Benchmark auditorium on a Sunday wanting to see what the school is like vacant and to enjoy the empty halls. They come across a student who lives backstage and she shares with them all the sets, props, stories and magic of theater. They then have their own adventures using music and movement, some empowering and some mischievous. By the end of the show, they unite with a mutual love of the school and each other but also realize it is in fact Monday morning. They haven’t done any work and school is starting.