Un comienzo de oro en Sanford 

There was a lot of excitement at Sanford Middle School last week as 142 students auditioned for Willy Wonka Jr., tying the highest turnout for auditions in recent memory. Ninety-two students were cast, and this week they came together for their first rehearsals.  

Auditions have always been about more than who makes the cast. One long-standing Project Success tradition is giving every student who isn’t cast a handwritten note, encouraging them to come back and try again and reminding them there are other ways to be part of the show, including tech crew. And sometimes, we get to see what happens when a student takes that invitation to heart. One seventh grader who didn’t make the cast as a sixth grader last year came back, auditioned again, and this time earned a named role.  

There are firsts happening, too. Eighth-grader Iris had never auditioned for or performed in a musical before. She decided to give it a try this year and was cast as Mrs. Bucket, Charlie’s mom.  

With the cast list set, 92 students are beginning the work of turning Willy Wonka Jr. into a show together. Over the next two months, they’ll learn music and choreography, build characters, and develop their skills as singers, dancers, and actors. But the process is about building more than a show. It’s also about giving students opportunities to take risks, try something new, and build confidence along the way. 

Project Success workshops are woven into that process. This year, weekly workshops will happen at the end of Monday rehearsals, creating time for students to reflect on the day, what they’re learning, and where they want to grow. And on full-cast rehearsal days, the team is adding another small way to keep that reflection going: students and staff will consistently wear name tags. At the first rehearsal, students used those name tags on their way out to answer a question about where they wanted to grow, dropping them into one of three buckets: singing, dancing, or acting.  

There will be plenty of rehearsing, learning, mistakes, and trying again between now and opening night. Then, on December 11 and 12, the cast will take the stage at Sanford and share what they’ve created together.