Laconia Christian, Gilford Middle stage spring productions

There are a few more chances to see school theater productions before the end of the semester, with two upcoming shows in the Lakes Region this month.

'Anastasia'

Members of Laconia Christian Community Theatre at Laconia Christian Academy will perform “Anastasia: The Musical,” Friday through Sunday, May 15-17, at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse, in Meredith.

The production is open to the public, and inspired by the 1997 animated princess film of the same name. The story follows Anya on her journey to uncover her identity after surviving the Russian Revolution.

This will be director Jen Bleiler’s 13th production with LCA. Bleiler selected the show herself, after seeing the production on Broadway 10 years ago.

“I was really blown away by the story,” Bleiler said. “There's a lot of changes from the movie. There's a lot more history. And because I teach English and history, as well as theater, I thought it [would] be great, especially for high school students.”

The show’s cast, ranging in ages from fourth grade students to adults in the community for more mature roles, have been rehearsing since February. The cast has started meeting six days a week in preparation for the upcoming performances.

“This time of year is really exciting,” Bleiler said. “Obviously, as a teacher, I love seeing kids grow into something they didn't think they could do before. And we're adding costumes and props every day. I just love seeing all the aspects come together.”

The musical includes several popular songs from the original film, including “Journey To The Past" and “Once Upon A December,” and Bleiler believes fans of the movie will enjoy the “new additions” in the stage adaptation.

“There’s kind of an extra layer of depth to the musical that I don't think is in the original movie,” Bleiler said. “We encourage families of all ages to come, and we just hope people of the community will come and check it out."

Tickets are available for shows at 7 p.m., on Friday and Saturday, May 15-16, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, under the box office tab at winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org, or at the door.

'School of Rock'

The Gilford Middle School Theatre program will perform “School of Rock: The Musical — Young Actors Edition,” at 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, May 28-30, with a matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 30.

The musical, based on the original 2003 Jack Black film, follows guitarist Dewey Finn as he pretends to be a substitute teacher at an elementary school because he can’t find a job, and ends up teaching his class the art of rock 'n’ roll.

Director and producer Matt Demko was encouraged by his theater students to pick the musical after they saw the rights to the middle school version were released, in October 2025. Demko was on board, as he previously directed the New Hampshire premiere of the full-length musical for Gilford High School, in 2019. Demko also has personal admiration for the show, but mainly chose it because of its message.

“I saw [the show] on Broadway five times, I love it. But it also has a really good message about how important the arts are for kids,” Demko said. “Some kids really need [the arts] in their life in order to succeed, and the show does a really great job touching upon that.”

Leading the production is eighth grader Ryder McCall as Dewey Finn, with students Sophia and Victoria Lyman, Colton Kingsley, Maya Amour, and more than 30 more Gilford middle schoolers portraying classmates, teachers, parents, and other dynamic roles that bring the story to life.

“We have a lot of kids in this show who are in big roles for the first time, and they've really stepped up, and are really taking it seriously,” Demko said.

This is Demko’s 20th year as director of theater education for Gilford Middle and High schools. Helping Demko behind the scenes is music teacher Aidan Lamont as music director, technical director Anthony Eldridge with a tech crew of 20 students, Karen Madon overseeing costumes, and Gilford High 12th grader Grace Laurent contributing hip-hop-inspired choreography.

The community is encouraged to support these performers and crew members as they showcase their hard work and talent, as well as enjoy the rock 'n’ roll-style songs of the show.

Performances will be at the Gilford High School auditorium. Tickets are available at gilford.ludus.com/200528867.