It’s that time of year again. While some SPHS students may be preparing for their next basketball game or getting ready to leave on holiday vacation, others are busy rehearsing for what is arguably the most popular event of the school year — Severna Park’s annual Rock and Roll Revival.
Each year, students from every grade spend weeks rehearsing for their audition, all in hopes of getting a lucky spot in the show. “Rock and Roll is one of the most stressful times of the year for all of us,” junior Syrenna McNutt said. “We put a lot of hard work into it…go through all these phases of being stressed out…but then when you find out you get in, it’s just so fun.”
McNutt, who has been an avid member of the theater program at SPHS since her freshman year, believes the magic of Rock and Roll Revival truly comes down to the people. “I’m just excited to see my friends,” Mcnutt said. “You’re literally with them for weeks, and I’ve made some of my best friends from Rock and Roll, for sure. It’s just a very close community … even the directors, I feel like they’re my friends.”
Although the show provides a huge sense of nirvana at the end, McNutt assures that it wasn’t always so easy. “It’s a giant time commitment,” she said. “But I think it’s just more so balancing school and rock and roll that makes it hard. If you’re doing dance and a ton of other things, then it’s gonna be a lot more work.”
As expected, though, in the end, the discipline from these students always pays off. Tickets begin to sell out in a number of hours, and the show has been praised for years in local newspapers, like Capital Gazette and Severna Park Voice, for its raw talent, entertainment and authenticity. Even some of the community’s most renowned students, like NBC’s The Voice finalist Parijita Bastola, have participated in the production.
This year’s theme for Rock and Roll Revival is “Heartbreak Hotel,” so expect some classic love songs mixed with a bit of teenage angst. You can support the SPHS theater department through the Falcon Drama Boosters with donations online or in-person at the show. A large portion of the proceeds go toward a different charity every year, so stay tuned for this year’s pick.
“What’s not to like about it, am I right?” McNutt said. “Just expect to be blown away this year…we put all this hard work into it, and it really pays off.”
