Elijah Webb’s senior year isn’t turning out quite as he expected.

It’s turning out better.

Figuring he’d be able to coast a little with the bulk of his credits out of the way, Webb has found that the performing arts he’s involved with at Oak Harbor High School have kept him on the go.

As a member of the school’s choir club, Webb’s senior year has been a stream of performances and rehearsals, which will culminate with the spring musical “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown.” The show opens Thursday night with the first of six shows.

“It’s crazy,” said Webb, who also performed in the school’s drama club production of “All My Sons” in February and is an advanced choir student. “I don’t have time to breathe, but it’s the best.

“I thought my senior year would be nice and relaxing, but it’s turned out to be the best year of my life. I’m loving every second.”

For Darren McCoy, the school’s choral director and producer of this month’s musical, these past two months have been a stretch like none other in his seven years at the high school.

In March alone, choir students performed in two festivals as well as Carmina Burana, a yearlong collaboration with the Saratoga Orchestra. During that same month, there were auditions and callbacks for next school year’s choir and rehearsals for “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown,” the high school’s first musical in two years.

“He never goes home practically,” sophomore Jack Landau said of McCoy.

“On most days, I see him here until 6 or 7 o’clock,” junior Mily Larsen said.

With the choir club’s latest endeavor, McCoy’s enlisted plenty of help.

He recruited Stephen James Anderson from the Whidbey Playhouse to direct the show after the production’s original director became ill and bowed out.

Anderson has 10 years of acting and directing experience in professional theater. He directed “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Whidbey Playhouse two years ago.

“He made a lot of changes, which is fine with me,” McCoy said. “He went and crafted the show we now have in roughly four weeks, which is amazing.”

McCoy called the entire production a true community project with the painting done by the art department and set built by community members. The instrumentalists are a blend of community members and band students.

The actors are all from the choir, led by seniors Devin Moncada (Charlie Brown) and Katherine Fisher (Snoopy) and sophomore Ethan Webb (Linus). That trio performs their roles in all six shows while other actors alternate.

Fisher recently performed as Juliet in the musical “Romeo and Juliet” at the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon and got a late start on her school’s role as Snoopy.

She got hooked on acting after taking Shakespeare classes taught by Anderson at the Whidbey Playhouse.

“That’s when I decided I wanted to do theater as a career,” said Fisher, who is headed to Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.

Until then, she gets to spend a little more time acting like high school kids with her choir mates who’ve developed close bonds over the years.

During a break from rehearsals Monday night, the group’s energy never diminished as they danced, sang and laughed in a room behind the stage.

“Usually, we’re even more rowdy,” Fisher said.

“This is just an absolute blast,” said Moncada, who’s been a part of the choir for three years.

Katie Lof, a junior who also wants to continue in the performing arts in college, said she’s enjoyed her three years in choir and the closeness of the group through all the practice and performances.

“It’s very fun,” she said. “It’s very tiring.”

Even the lighting designer needed a friendly tap on the shoulder to wake up after she fell asleep during rehearsals Monday night.

“I know they’re exhausted,” McCoy said.

Anderson is impressed with what he sees all around him.

In Oak Harbor’s award-winning choir group, he’s seen some good actors, too.

“The kids are super talented,” Anderson said. “And I think teachers like McCoy are rare. Not only does he genuinely care about his students, he’s unbelievably talented.”

“He could work in Los Angeles or New York or with a symphony or whatever, but he’s chosen to be a high school teacher.”

Charlie Brown
The Oak Harbor High School Choir Club will perform the musical “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” April 16-18 and 23-25 at the high school’s Student Union Building. The show is produced by Darren McCoy and directed by Stephen Anderson. All six shows start at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6. Tickets are $12 at the door or $8 for kids under 12.