The Fall play of 2024 was no longer a play but another musical! Everyone was excited for the weekend of November 15th, when three shows were performed by the Blind Brook High School theater program. The musical, Ranked, was the chosen production. Ranked tells the story of a competitive high school where students are placed on a leaderboard on the first day of school, determining their worth by their rank. Those who are “above the average” are mean-spirited and will go to any lengths to maintain their status. Meanwhile, those below the average are looked down upon. The protagonist, Lily, finds herself lost in this mess, and the plot takes audiences on a journey to witness the lengths people will go to in order to preserve their ranking.
Ranked was created during the college admissions scandal when it was discovered that people were paying to get their children into prestigious colleges. At the climax of the show, it is revealed that someone among the top half of the rankings has been paying to maintain their position. In this dystopian high school, where everything revolves around status, this revelation leaves the characters confused, frustrated, and lost. The musical reflects the immense stress placed on high school students. Although the situations in Ranked are not identical to those in a typical high school, it provides a perspective on the pressure students face to succeed.
The cast was divided into two groups: “below the average” and “above the average.” The small yet talented cast included 15 students. The “above the average” group featured Chloe Beal, Madilyn Klein, Josh Fitzpatrick, Abby Meron, Hannah Levine, Annabelle Hirsch, Aviella Kibel, and Christian Boruch. The “below the average” group included Pablo Zeitune, Maya Hazan, Julia Garofolo, Brooke Levine, Rory Mayer, Dora Lopes, and Ava Kempton. The show was produced and directed by Christina Colangelo, with music directed by Jessica Cerasoli. Zach Dore served as the technical director. The stage crew included Veronica Babiuk, Cassandra Brunetti, Natalie Genovese, Justin Keller, Connor Landsman, Robert Luceno, Luke Ross, Juno Chong, Audrey Sweeney, Julia Fagan, Ana Mattinson, Noah Sausen, Amaira Agrwal, Olivia Ifrah, Tarun Mahadevan, Ray Granda, and Max Granda. This large team came together to showcase how the Blind Brook community collaborates to put on a fantastic production.
To gain a deeper understanding of the production, I interviewed several senior cast members and Music Director Jessica Cerasoli. Abby Meron played Alexis Larson, the older sister of Lily Larson, who was ranked above the average. Alexis was a driven student who worked hard to maintain her spot, despite dealing with challenges at home. She tried to push her sister to do the same, but her constant stress took a toll on her.
Madilyn Klein played Sydney Summers, the number one ranked student and the ultimate mean girl. Sydney was clearly obsessed with the leaderboard and looked down on everyone else. However, it was revealed that her brother, Ryan, had been paying to maintain his grades. This revelation left everyone in chaos, as the Summers family had a strong reputation to uphold. By the end of the story, Sydney learned that everyone has their own struggles and that she could not continue to be rude to others.
Chloe Beal, the third senior I interviewed, played the lead role of Lily Larson. Lily was a high school freshman experiencing the ranking system for the first time. Naturally nervous, she felt immense pressure to impress her sister and family by performing well. Lily became “at risk,” meaning she could potentially fall below the average, which only added to her stress.
Aviella Kibel played Kelly, who essentially ran the school news, covering all events and information related to the ranking system. Kelly was also in charge of the “rank redemption system,” where at-risk students could take a test to boost their ranking. Similar to Sydney, Kelly was determined to stay above the average and was often rude in her interactions.
Lastly, I interviewed Music Director Jessica Cerasoli. When asked why the directors chose a musical instead of the usual play for the fall show, she explained that they had discussed it at length but felt that no play fit their vision. She also noted that this group of students was very talented, which ultimately influenced their decision. When asked for her thoughts on the production, she shared that everything was going well and that it was meaningful for the students to perform a show that reflected challenges they actually face in real life.
In summary, the cast and crew of Ranked poured their hearts into the performance. After attending both shows on Friday, November 15, and Saturday, November 16, it was clear how dedicated the students were. Although Ranked is not a widely known musical, its message resonated deeply with the audience. Watching each character navigate relationships, stress, and external pressures was impactful, particularly for those experiencing similar challenges in high school.