News from Christian Academy of Knoxville

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Call 690-4721 for more informationor visit www.cakwarriors.com

‘Once Upon a Mattress’ at Christian Academy of KnoxvilleBy Carol Z. Shane

“Picking a show is always such a fun but challenging part of my job,” says Amy Brock, choral and musical theatre director at Christian Academy of Knoxville for the last five years. Speaking of the show she’s currently directing, she says, “‘Once Upon a Mattress’ is a fun and whimsical show and I knew it would be great for the cast that I have this year. The students are really enjoying it and are stepping up in many ways!”

A native Knoxvillian and a graduate of CAK herself, Brock earned her bach-elor’s degree in vocal performance and her master’s degree in education from Carson-Newman University. For her first year at CAK, she taught middle school theater; for the last four years, she’s taught high school.

“Once Upon a Mattress,” a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Mar-shall Barer, is an adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea.” Carol Bur-nett starred in the original Broadway

Spirit of Praise Ensemble collaborates with Mary McDonaldOn March 3, CAK’s Spirit of Praise

Ensemble had the tremendous op-portunity of working with renowned composer and Knoxville native Mary McDonald by appearing together in concert at Asbury United Methodist Church.

Highly regarded in the world of church and spiritual music, McDon-ald has written a multitude of both choral, organ and piano music, each directly inspired by Biblical passages or hymns. In her 35-year career, she has written tremendously popular sa-cred anthems, sung by church choirs the world over. She is also a popular performer of her own compositions.

The Spirit of Praise Ensemble is an auditioned group of 18 students ranging from ninth to 12th grade, led by CAK’s choral and musical theatre director, Amy Brock. They perform spiritual and secular pieces in a wide range of musical genres and styles, from classical to gospel to contempo-rary.

The group’s view of sacred music and its ability to be used in worship

has been bolstered through McDon-ald’s compositions. In the March 3 concert, the students loved singing her music along with her spirited accom-paniment, especially in the beautiful setting of Asbury United Methodist Church. Asbury’s sanctuary choir pro-vided dinner for the Ensemble, and the two groups thoroughly enjoyed performing together. Both in rehears-al and during the performance, Mc-Donald offered her testimony as well as unique and poignant insights into each piece. “Singing such well-written and soulful music with the very per-son who composed the pieces was an unforgettable experience for the En-semble,” says Brock.

The group has also collaborated with American Christian singer and multiple GMA Dove Award winner Sandi Patty.

“The students of the Ensemble strive to bring glory to God in every note sung, and hope to use their gifts to minister to those who hear them,” says Brock. “They perform each year in a variety of ways; these opportuni-

Amy Brock, CAK’s choral and musical theatre teacher and an alumna of the school, directs the spring production of “Once Upon a Mattress.”

The cast, currently in rehearsals, is

having a wonderful time with the lively show, based on the fairy tale

“The Princess and the Pea.”

The Spirit of Praise Ensemble, an 18-member auditioned choir of CAK choral students, recently collaborated with renowned Christian composer Mary McDonald.

ties not only allow the students of the Ensemble to bring the gift of music to those around them, but also to grow

closer together in a way that makes the Spirit of Praise Ensemble feel like family.”

production in 1959 and became an in-stant star when she belted her opening number, “Shy,” where she explains – in raucous, high-volume Burnett style – that she’s actually very timid. It’s a very funny moment from a very funny show.

The play has historical mean-ing for the school and for Brock. “It is a fun coin-cidence that this is CAK’s

10-year anniversary of the first time we did ‘Once Upon a Mattress.’ I was in the first produc-tion of the show at CAK and have loved being on the ‘other side’ as a director,” she says.

The show is in rehearsal right now and the cast is having a rollicking good time. In such an active production, with lots of dancing and movement, Brock says there are “multiple people who fall to the floor or proclaim they need to ‘up their cardio’ after finishing dances such as ‘Spanish Panic’ or the

‘Dancing Jesters.’”“Once Upon a Mattress” will be

performed at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 12 and Friday, April 13; and at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 14. Preticket sales end Friday, March 30. For questions, info and/or tickets, call 865-690-4721 or email cak.hs.showseating@gmail.com. All performances take place at Christian Academy of Knoxville, 529 Academy Way.