Forever

The number of days you have on earth are not nearly as important as how you spend them, and that is the meaning expressed in the enchanting story of “Tuck Everlasting.”    Beginning this week, “Tuck Everlasting,” a musical based on the children’s novel by Natalie Babbitt, will take the stage in the Coal City Performing Arts Center, as an all-student cast from Coal City High School will step under the lights to share the story of the Tucks and the young, adventurous Winnie Foster who must decide if she wants to live or live forever.
The curtain comes up as the Tuck family arrives in Treegrap, New Hampshire, circa 1808. After their journey from the west, the family comes upon a spring.
The father, Angus, declares, “this spring is a good omen. Where there’s water, there’s opportunity. And where there’s opportunity, there’s our new life.”    At the time, Angus had no idea what drinking the water from that spring would do to his life.
As the Tuck family exits, a bright eyed 11-year-old steps forth clinging the forest green dress she hopes to wear to the fair that’s set to arrive in Treegap on this day in August 1893.
Winnie Foster, played by junior Gabrielle Cinotto, must convince her grief stricken mother to allow her to attend the fair, but still in mourning over the loss of her husband, Winnie’s mother, (senior Lauren Phillips) refuses to let her go, even when a napping Nana (senior McKenzie Hennessy) pops in to support her granddaughter’s request for a night out.
Even a good girl like Winnie has her moments of defiance and runs off into the wood that surrounds her home. That’s where she comes across Jesse Tuck (senior Gavyn Williams) who’s returned to New Hampshire to reunite with his folks, who have made their home  in a little cabin in the Foster’s wood.
The two meet near the spring and from there the story takes a series of turns as the youngster comes to learn that when the Tucks drank from that spring 85 years earlier it provided them with eternal life.
Along the way, the story brings in a host of characters from the “evil banana” that is the Man in the Yellow Suit (junior Cody Roger) to Constable Joe and his son, Hugo (senior Ben Kreiger and sophomore Gabe Ludes, respectively).
Preston Johnson who takes the stage as Angus Tuck is ecstatic to be performing in Tuck as his senior show.
“It’s such a powerful story. There are shows that do multiple levels, and the point of this story is to connect people, show family values and how wonderful life really is. I feel if we portray this story the right way, the audience will be able to connect it to their own lives,” Johnson said.
Director Jack Micetich says the cast is doing a phenomenal job in telling this story.
“Tuck Everlasting,” debuted on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theater on March 31, 2016, and Micetich was in the theatre that evening.
He had an immediate connection to the story, its music and the amazing set and costume design, and he knew that one day he would bring the story of the Tucks and Fosters to the high school stage.
Micetich sought to secure the rights even before they were officially released by sending an email to the writers. He pushed his plans back and the seniors in this show are happy they landed “Tuck Everlasting” for their final bows.
Hennessy knew nothing of the story, but after listening to the soundtrack she immediately fell in love with the show, “I was like OK this is going to be a good one to go out on.”
The majority of the seniors, in fact the cast as a whole, have been working with Micetich since junior high, some even earlier as they’ve appeared in the community theatre he started while he was still in college.
“This production has contained many full circle moments for me as a director, educator and mentor,” said Micetich who was tapped to produce and direct shows for the district’s middle school during is semester of student teaching.
He then added the high school musicals and this year ventured in the role of play director.
Since that day of accepting the challenge of starting a middle school program, he says, his life has been forever changed due to the students that have taken the stage over the past eight years, seven that have been spent with his group of seniors.
“As I have reminisced, it’s hard to ignore the talent, drive and growth of these senior students,” the director said.
It was that talent, drive and growth he saw in his students that led him to produce last year’s hit, “Les Miserables.”    To produce the show is a challenge, especially at the high school level, “but we did that, and it was beautiful. It pushed us out into new territory,” Micetich said.
Just as “Les Miserables” has its unforgettable moments, wide ranging emotion and challenging score, so does “Tuck Everlasting.”
“What I tell anyone who asks, if they enjoyed “Les Mis,” they are going to be blown away by what the cast has done with Tuck,” Micetich said.
Every production is its own, no two compare and the cast of “Tuck Everlasting” can’t wait to share this story with audiences of all ages.
“I would say its a wake up call to live life the best you can, because you are not going to live forever,” Phillips said, adding,  “I stand by the line Angus has, and its the most powerful line in the show... ‘you don’t have to live forever, you just have to live.’”
“Tuck Everlasting” opens Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m., with additional shows on Friday, March 8; Saturday, March 9; Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 10 and 17, at 2 p.m.
Reserve seat tickets are $8 per adult and $5 for senior citizens and students. Tickets can be obtained at cctuck.weebly.com or at the door beginning one hour prior to each performance. Audience members are asked to arrive no later than 5 minutes prior to each scheduled show.

The cast
Gabrielle Cinotto, Winnie Foster; Gavyn Williams, Jesse Tuck; Sydney Carlos, Mae Tuck; Riley Nevin, Miles Tuck; Preston Johnson, Angus Tuck; Cody Rogers, Man in the Yellow Suit; Lauren Phillips, Mother; McKenzie Hennessy, Nana; Ben Kreiger, Constable Joe; Gabe Ludes, Hugo, and Isabella Bartholomew, Thomas.
Dance ensemble
Sophia Jakubowski, Madison Holcom, Natalie Durham, Emma Kenney, Luccia Hakey, Griffin Johnson, Levi Counterman, Kit Clayburn, DeKotah Rueger and AJ Rodriguez
Ensemble
Kaylee Groves, Tessa Brancato, Addey Connor, Makenna Crater, Anjalie Medina, McKenna Patten, Eli Fritz, Zoe Smith, Aidan Kostbade, Caleb Kuhel and Evan Rivera.