Horizon High thespians to debut “Old Man and the Old Moon”

Horizon High School Theatre is premiering its one-act musical production, “The Old Man and the Old Moon,” this November ahead of taking the show to the District Five thespian festival.

The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he (or his wife, the Old Woman) can remember. When she is drawn away by a mysterious melody sparking memories of their shared past, the Old Man must decide between duty (and routine) and love (and adventure). He chooses the latter, and what follows is an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts, as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change.

The musical is the result of guest artist masterclasses, an award-winning creative team led by Horizon High theater director Nicholas Wainwright, music director Maura Sitzmann, and a rotating cast of seven students.

"When selecting a full season of shows, it is vital to have a thesis for the year,” Wainwright said. “This year, it was important to me that coming out of the times of the pandemic, we themed our theatrical season around ‘family healing’ as our core. The second family we deal with is met with the challenges of long-lasting marriage and the loss of drive and adventure.

“The Old Man and the Old Woman never lose their love for one another; they just simply forgot how to show each other,” Wainwright said. “The Old Woman decides it is time for some adventure in her life again, and off we depart on this chase after the Old Man's lost love.”

This production’s music is played by the students, and the cast never leaves the stage. Wainwright calls it a true sense of ensemble “story theater.”

The music in the show is played by students with their own musical instruments, including guitars, double bass, violin, banjos and accordion. The music is directed by Sitzmann, a frequent guest director at Horizon, working artist/performer in the Orlando area and internationally known music director for RWS Entertainment.

“The work that Maura Sitzmann has done with these students is truly a feat to see and hear to believe,” Wainwright said. “I am beyond proud of their work and the story they are sharing not only here this evening, but as they bring this production to the District 5 thespian festival.”

Horizon High has inducted more than 40 thespians in the school’s inaugural year, premiered a new adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” and qualified for the state festival.

“What I am most proud of is the collaborative spirit built here at Horizon,” Wainwright said. “Students have found family and built the community that theater programs require to succeed and grow.”

“The Old Man and the Old Moon” starts at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 and 16. Tickets begin at $10. For information or to buy tickets, visit horizonhstheatre.com/tickets.