Grand and magnificent: The story of the Steinmühle on the musical theater stage
It always starts with an idea—and that alone was already fantastic. The annual musical by the 5th-grade classes, this time part of the Steinmühlen Festival Week, was meant to explore history. The team led by director Ulrike Wilmsmeyer—consisting of Anna Prokop, Daniel Sans, and Frank Wemme—had our school’s 5th-grade choir perform a colorful mix of songs spanning 75 years of Steinmühlen history. With its 88 singers on the Forum stage, it was a spectacular event!
It always takes many minds and many hands to make what we later see and hear possible in the first place. That was especially true this time. Weeks earlier, Jasmine Weidenbach, president of the Steinmühle Support Association, had already been thinking about the visual impact of the young singers performing. Wearing their light-colored T-shirts printed with the logo, they presented themselves as a large group on stage, and everyone knew right away: This is where the music is! Class 6i had designed the posters, and Kira Gräser, a parent, had arranged for makeup, costumes, and stage decorations. As always, the custodial team had reliably taken care of the seating arrangements and all logistical requirements in advance. Now nothing could go wrong.
In addition to presenting music from the past 75 years, the fifth-grade classes also told a story—namely, that of a chaotic family with a stressed-out mother who, in light of her upcoming anniversary presentation, has to rely on the help of her parents (Grandma and Grandpa) and her two children. Unfortunately, things still go a bit wrong…
The Best Hits from Every Decade
The great thing about the musical performances was that everyone in the audience knew the songs being performed. The song “Hurra hurra, die Schule brennt” referred to the fire that destroyed the school building in 1967, but despite this serious background, it still came across as a bit humorous. And when the fifth-graders on stage sing the lyrics to “Dancing Queen” as if it were the most natural thing in the world, belting it out at the top of their lungs, that’s when you really realize just what legends ABBA truly are. Performances like “Yellow Submarine” and “Wind of Change” also tied into the Steinmühlen chronicle, as one dealt with a hydroelectric power plant and flooding, and the other with the bus escape operation in the 1980s. Other stories from Steinmühlen’s history—including its numerous construction phases—were brought to life on stage through music featuring many big hits. “Aquarius (Let the Sunshine In)” was performed twice—including as an encore for this magnificent overall performance. The program also featured music by the Musical Band, composed of young musicians from grades 6 through 13, as well as a performance by two former students on the saxophone and trombone. In addition to the music, the audience was treated to four dance routines that had been choreographed during physical education classes in the four grades. The “Sound & Light” club, made up of students from grade 9, handled the lighting and sound.
“I had such a great time!” said Principal Björn Gemmer, who once again praised the dedication of everyone involved after the event. And he certainly spoke for everyone when he said that.
