Entertainment

By: Jonta Brown and Chrysten Owens 

Black Panther is the first African American superhero to get a solo film in the Marvel franchise. Stars; Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta, and Angela Bassett, and forever in our hearts - Chadwick Boseman who passed away due to colon cancer. Director Ryan Coogler wanted to keep the series up with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dedicated to Boseman. Wakanda Forever has a plot with the Feathered Serpent God, Namor, and his army of Talokans, with Shuri grieving her brother’s passing (T’Challa). With there being no Black Panther, Wakanda fears there will be no protector anymore. We meet Iron Heart in this film played by Dominique Thorne, who supposedly stole Vibranium from Wakanda and which Shuri and Okoye had to investigate to take her back to Wakanda for safety knowing she might be tracked down from Namor. Does she end up being safe? Is there a new Black Panther? Everyone has questions. In recent interviews with each cast member, also with the director, Chadwick’s passing shocked them all, Letitia Wright didn’t want to continue on the movie series but, she wanted to do it for Chadwick, and keep his legacy alive. In Theaters Now: Black Panther Wakanda Forever.

By: Agatha Llewellyn

Last week the Firestone Theater put on one of Shakespeare's most famous comedies: Twelfth Night. The show is under the direction of Tess Burgler, who has worked on Shakespeare's plays for 22 years. Tess has also directed Hamlet and The Tempest here at Firestone. This would be the third Tess Burgler show put on at Firestone. Twelfth Night is a fun lighthearted comedy that focuses on a love triangle, a circle of fools, and the love for a sibling. Twelfth Night said by Burgler “it’s a perfectly structured comedy, his best by far.” 

Tess Burgler has worked on Firestones Shakespheres for the past nine years. Previously worked on Hamlet, The Tempest and now adding to the list with Twelfth Night. She is constantly coming back for the environment and kids. She mentioned that the casting process was “Great, and we had the exact amount of people needed.” Being the prominent director comes with some help, she was the prominent director but had help from her husband and dad. Her dad was a co-director and vocal coordinator. Her husband was the stunt coordinator. 

The cast of Twelfth Night was just as fun and exciting as the show. Stage Manager Rylee Horowitz said the most enjoyable part for her was “Seeing everyone go into character and being silly.” The cast and crew started rehearsal around November 6th. Many including Macy Garver Hughs (10) said “Getting to know the cast members is always fun, working with them is even better.” Though the show had ups and downs and they worked till the last minute it ended up being a huge success.  This show is one for the books, an overall success for Firestone. 

By Noa Beree

For years, the Phantom of the Opera has been a symbol of musical theater. 

With its hauntingly beautiful songs, enthralling story, and incredible storytelling, the endearingly gothic melodrama has become the longest running musical on Broadway, with 34 years of performance, since it opened in the 90's. 

The show centers around Christine, a ballet dancer at an opera house, who is taught by a mysterious composer, who goes by the name “The Phantom of the Opera” hence the title. The musical is inspired by the novel with the same title.

However, all good things must come to an end, and The Phantom of the Opera is no exception. Just over a week ago, Cameron Mackintosh announced that the Broadway showstopper would be dropping its famous red curtain for the final time, come February 2023.

Following his announcement, fans rushed to buy tickets, hoping to catch a glimpse of the musical they loved one last time. The show will continue to run around the world, but, for the time being it will be leaving America behind.

“You don’t want to run a great show into the ground,” said Mackintosh in a phone interview.

He then explained how Phantom, unlike other musicals like Cats and Hamilton, which will likely become long-running shows, have limited casts and costumes. Meanwhile, Phantom has well over 100 people in the cast, and 27 musicians, along with many, many elaborate costumes for just one person, let alone an entire cast.

“I’ve found there comes a point with the greatest show where the only thing you can do is tell people it won’t be there  indefinitely, which people always assume, with the long-runners it is,” said  Mackintosh during his interview last Saturday.

“I don’t think it was just the pandemic - I think it would be wrong to say that,” Mackintosh said. He said he doesn't blame the pandemic, that this was bound to happen anyways.

The musical won’t be gone forever though. There is always a chance of revival, especially with such a loved musical. However, it would most likely not contain such a large cast or orchestra, to cut down money. It will still travel in the west, so fans do not need to fear permanent loss of the musical.

By Gwen Williams and Talaya Hatcher

This past weekend, the Firestone Theater Department put on The Prom, a spectacle of song, dance, and a healthy helping of kindness. Students worked very hard on the production considering they had no technical director during rehearsals or performances. It took lots of dedication from the actors, the crew, and the orchestra to have this show successfully put on. As the first show of the school year, The Prom showcased the multifaceted skills of our talented students. 

As soon as the curtains lifted, the vibrant personalities of these lively characters shone through in the remarkable acting skills of Firestone Highschool students. Through catchy songs and fun group dance numbers, the story of 17 year old high school student Emma, played by senior Martha Chestnut, enthralled the audience. As the crew of past-their-prime Broadway stars fought for her rights, and their own PR, a story of perseverance and genuine connection unfolded. 

Impressively, Firestone High School’s production of The Prom was the first high school showing of the musical in the U.S. It was a fantastic debut, and there’s no doubt that it was thanks to the dedication and talent of the whole cast and crew. If The Prom is any indication of future Firestone Theater productions, the Akron community has a lot to look forward to. 

By Gwen Williams and Ava Harper 

Taylor Swift’s newest album Midnights has a medley of pop production balanced with hard-hitting lyrics. Chock full of fan theories, stunning red carpet looks, and exciting surprises from Taylor herself, the Midnights album roll out caused plenty of anticipation for the album. In the time that the album has been out, it’s broken countless records, including the most streamed record in a single day on Spotify. Swift responded to this news in a tweet saying “How did I get this lucky, having you guys out here doing something this mind blowing?!” She also occupied all top ten spots of the Billboard Hot 100 as of October 31st 2022. 

Midnights is a return home to pop for Swift after her stint with a more folksy sound on her 2020 releases Folklore and Evermore. Both were wildly successful, with Folklore winning Album Of The Year at The Grammys. Folklore and Evermore were also partially built on make-believe stories, which was a switch for Swift who is known for sharing her life with fans through her music. In Midnights, Swift returns to writing music about herself and her life, calling it a “directly autobiographical album" in an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The release week for Midnights has been a whirlwind of new content from Swift. Just three hours after the album drop, she released 7 more tracks on Midnights (3am Edition). Fans can also expect at least a few music videos for Midnights, all directed by Swift, though it’s speculated that there will be a video for each track. Two of the videos for the tracks Anti-Hero and Bejeweled  are already available on Youtube. She’s also been sharing plenty of photos from behind the scenes with her friends and colleagues, praising them and their work. Among those mentioned is Jack Antonoff, Swift’s long time producer. They began working together on Swift’s 2014 record 1989, and Antonoff has been an integral part of Swift’s team since. He was referred to as her “co-pilot on this adventure” in a tweet dedicated to their friendship, and he replied with “love you” . If you’re a fan of Taylor's, be sure to keep an eye out for the remaining music videos, a possible tour announcement, and any other chaotic surprises Swift might cook up.