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By Alex Moore, Lord Botetourt High School

Lord Botetourt High School put on their school production of “Harvey” by Mary Chase as their Spring play.

Showing three times in late April, the play was hysterically charming.

It was about two and a half hours of entertainment it was worth it.

“Harvey” is about a man, Elwood P. Dowd, whose friend, is an imaginary six-foot tall rabbit. His sister is determined to fix this “problem” by admitting him into a psychiatric center.

The actors and actresses who played the characters did a brilliant job. When the props changed, there was old music playing to keep the audience interested. There was also an intermission between acts.

Every moment seemed to play out perfectly and I cannot recall a single thing I would have changed.

There was no better way to spend my Saturday night than to be amused by this wonderful play.

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By Julia Rogan, Patrick Henry High School

Patrick Henry Players’ production of Les Misérables, with showings March 15, 16, 22 and 23, was exceptional.

It outshines the musicals from the previous years at the school. The cast was excellent; their voices blended and it was amazing.

The play takes place in 19th century France and tells not one story, but five. Jean Valjean, played by junior Isaac Anderson, is a poor man sent to prison for stealing bread for his starving sister and her child.

Fantine, played by senior Taylor Zadell, had a child out of wedlock. She has to work and pay for her child that lives with an innkeeper and his wife in a different town. Fantine’s daughter Cosette, played by junior Mikayla Gunn, was mistreated and was used as a slave for the innkeeper and his wife and their daughter Eponine, played by senior Alexa Vasquez.

Javert, played by senior Raekwon Moore, wants to bring Jean Valjean to justice for violating his parole. has been chasing Jean Valjean forever, before Javert commits suicide. There is also a story about some college kids trying to start a revolution to change France and help the poor people. They eventually lose and all of the students save for one die.

The costumes were pretty well decided. However, in the beginning where they introduce Javert and Jean Valjean in prison, I thought the costumes could have looked a little more wretched and threadbare.

The play was very well cast, and I felt the strong emotion during most of the play.

While I understand why fake guns may not be allowed in lieu of the recent shootings, it was a bit confusing when students used their hands to create invisible guns. If you didn’t play close attention, you would have not noticed they were holding invisible guns in their hands.

Also there were no guns, but they used swords.What I found interesting, was that even though fake guns were not used, fake swords were used, along with a cannon and the sounds that a canon makes. I believe swords and cannons are classified as weapons.

The play kept me enthralled. It was a wonderful, sad (hence the name) and inspiring story.

The innkeeper and his wife provided comic relief to lighten the tragic plot.

It didn’t seem like this would be a play for young children to attend, due to its sexual references, prostitution during the song “Lovely Ladies,” and mild cussing.

While watching the revolutionaries I felt inspired. Though their cause seemed lost and like they would lose before they started fighting, they didn’t give up and still fought until they all fell at the barricade. “Enjolras,” the leader, played by junior Charles Sellers, was very charismatic and Grantaire, a revolutionary, played by junior William Merten, was his polar opposite. He served as comic relief during dire situations.

Overall it was a great play. The cast and crew deserve a five-star rating and a Tony Award. It was above and beyond my expectations.

By McKinley Saunders, Lord Botetourt High School

John Mayer’s newest album, “Born & Raised,” was released a year ago, on May 22, 2012. Now I know what you are thinking: why am I writing an album review on this now?

Well, I am writing a review on this album now, because even after almost a year passing, I still think its the best album that has come out in a while.

Mayer’s past albums and songs have had a pop vibe, but in this album the songs have a folk, blues, country and a little rock-and-roll vibe.

I enjoy all genres of music, but I enjoy classic rock oldies the best.

This album is the best combination of old and new. This is a great album with amazing songs.

My two favorite songs on the album are “Something Like Olivia” and “If I Ever Get Around To Living.” But what are you doing still reading this? Go check it out for yourself!

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By Neale Butler, North Cross School

North Cross School’s annual spring musical opened to a packed audience on  April 12, with a second show the following night.

The musical was a modified version of the famous Disney movie “Aladdin,” with actors and actresses ranging from fourth-graders to high school seniors.

Aladdin was played by freshman Tristan Johnson-Hodges, and the role of Jasmine was played by senior Emily Chandel.

The story follows Jasmine, who has spent her whole life inside castle walls when she meets and falls in love with Aladdin, a mischievous street juvenile. Jasmine is forbidden to marry him because he is not a prince.

Aladdin meets a genie, played by freshman Jack Fishwick, who gives him three wishes. One of his wishes is to become a prince so he can marry Jasmine. Right before they get married, Jasmine learns he is not really a prince.

Her father the Sultan, played by junior Zach Austin, sees how much she loves him, and they are allowed to get married in the end.

The musical was directed by North Cross choir teacher Andrew Miller and choreographed by middle school english teacher Robin Garrett.

I liked how the musical followed the movie but wasn’t an exact copy of it.

While being a love story, I was still entertained by many humorous parts of the play. The character Jafar, played by junior Ryan Hunt, and Iago, played by junior Nicole Chaney, were particularly funny because they were able to really become their characters.

A mural painted on the wall behind the actors of buildings in India set the scene, and the costumes worn by the characters made them easy to identify.

The play lasted about an hour and a half, which I thought was good.

The cast and crew were able to pack a lot into the time they had, and it was easy to tell many hours of practicing had been put into the production.

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By Scott Bledsoe, Hidden Valley High School

Each spring, many area high schools put on a play or a musical.

This year, some members of our staff attended the productions at their respective schools and wrote reviews.

Watch out over the next several days for our reviews.

“Westside Story;” Cave Spring and Hidden Valley High schools

The lights dim. People in the audience silence their mouths, as well as their cell phones. The curtains go up and for two hours, “Westside Story” is brought to life by the student actors and actresses.

Two rival high schools, Cave Spring and Hidden Valley, came together this spring for a joint production about two rival gangs, battling out their differences amidst the rough landscape of New York City.

The stage was set with an amazing cityscape background. All of the buildings’ windows glowed when the light hit them.

The actors and actresses were dressed in period 1950s costumes, except for members of the Puerto Rican Sharks gang, who were decked-out in bright shades of red, purple and black.

The leading male role, Tony, was played by Hidden Valley senior Will Duff. He did an exceptional job portraying the role of the starstruck Tony, who is in love with Maria. The way Duff delivered his lines and the tone of his voice gave way for a very convincing love of Maria.

The leading female role of Maria was shared by two girls who alternated show nights. The night I saw the play, Hidden Valley junior Amanda Data played Maria. Her vocals were stunning. I was dumbfounded by her voice. If she doesn’t end up on Broadway, then I don’t know who has a chance. In addition, Data’s acting was superb, with a very convincing Puerto Rican accent.

The supporting cast, which consisted of the leaders and members of the two rival gangs. the Jets and the Sharks, did an excellent job with the numerous musical numbers. The stage was full of talented and, it seemed, well-experienced dancers and singers.

It was interesting to note there was an absence of actual weapons in the production.

In a knife fight scene, no actual or fake knives were used. Tony just pantomimed stabbing someone in the stomach. In the final scene where Tony is shot, a fake gun isn’t used. Instead an L-shaped piece of wood was used.

I realize that the use of weapons is a sensitive matter given recent events, but I don’t see the harm in letting kids use fake weapons in school plays that require them. It’s a play; it’s fictional.

Illustration by Marta Kodin, Hidden Valley High School

By Amber Montgomery, Glenvar High School

It was love at first sight as I walked through the JMU campus in mid-October. I instantly felt at home on the sprawling campus: old buildings mixed with newer industrial buildings, the traditional college feel, not to mention the Quad, where the iconic Wilson Hall, named after President Woodrow Wilson, stands in its glory.

Looking at different art facilities has been a major priority for me during my search for colleges. After being admitted to James Madison on early decision, I decided to go back for a one-on-one portfolio review with department faculty members.

The portfolio review is something anyone going into art will have to complete during their college career. For this particular review, it was optional. Not only does it provide great feedback, but depending on the college, it could serve as a recommendation for the school or scholarships.

In mid-January, for my second visit, I found myself in an older area of town. The galleries and classrooms were in older, warehouse-like buildings. For the review, we went into the interior design building. Industrial and spacious, it looked like a professional studio.

As we were greeted, we became aware of the renovations taking place at Duke Hall, the official art building, which lacked proper lighting, ventilation and working spaces. A completely new building will replace it, creating modern and more efficient facilities for the program. Renovations are expected to be complete by next spring, and the building will likely be ready for student use by the fall of 2014. Read more »

The blog Created by Diane featured a tutorial on making this pancake cake. Photo courtesy of Created by Diane

Edge staffer Samantha Brooks found this treat to be fairly easy to make, but her fruit slices kept sliding off her cake. Photo by Samantha Brooks

By Samantha Brooks, Lord Botetourt High School

This Valentine’s breakfast treat looks a lot harder than it actually is. Being a good baker is not key in this process.

Even though most of this project was a breeze to make, the hard part came when the fruit started to fall off of the pancakes. The pancakes were still warm when I put the strawberry icing on. A few minutes after I began to layer the strawberries and banana, some of the fruit began to fall off –  a minor flaw in the creation.

I am not very skilled at baking, but I accomplished this in less than 30 minutes. It turned out fairly well, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to make a cute and delicious treat for Valentine’s Day.

Source for this craft: Created by Diane

The blog Club Chica Circle created a small trinket jar in the form of a cupcake. Photo courtesy of Club Chica Circle

Edge staffer Blair Thurman was happy with the look of the wooden box she used instead of a mason jar. Photo by Blair Thurman

By Blair Thurman, North Cross School

When I examined the process for this lovely trinket box online, I thought everything would go just as pictured and come out looking like  a masterpiece.  Yet, as always, homemade crafts are not that simple. Granted, this craft came out looking like a cute little novelty that can sit on my desk or my nightstand and bring me joy when looking at its wonderful array of colors. But my attempt was not at all like the attempt online.

I ran into two problems while working. The first was trying to find a small mason jar like the one in the picture. When going to the grocery store to find one, they only supply the full-size jars in 12-count packs. But instead, I found a small wooden chest that was about the same size. My idea worked wonderfully in that the wood brought out the colors I choose: red and pink for Valentine’s Day.

The other problem I encountered was working with household caulk. Online it seems that the caulk just flows right out of the gun and looks like pretty frosting. Wrong. Caulk does not simply flow. With too much pressure, it gushes out of the gun, and with too little pressure it “coughs” out.

Despite the problems, my little cupcake chest turned out to be a colorful eye catcher that your valentine or even you will be pleased with.

Source for this craft: Club Chica Circle

The blog Mama’s a Mess featured this image of a sweet DIY treat with marshmallow hearts and candies. Photo courtesy of Mama’s a Mess

Edge staffer Roshni Lalchandani had to improvise for this candy jar after the link to the instructions didn’t work. Photo by Roshni Lalchandani

By Roshni Lalchandani, Cave Spring High School

“Improvisation” is the word that summarizes this project best.

For it was only after I had bought all the supplies that I thought were needed that I found the true instructions link to be faulty, leaving me to get to work with only a mom’s blog gushing over how cute hers turned out to be. But really, that’s all you need —  it’s so easy.

Start by pouring some M&Ms and candy hearts in a fancy glass. You could honestly add whatever candy you’d like, though. Getting the marshmallows to stick was a little more difficult. The mom on the blog used taffy — something I have no experience with. Here comes the improvising. You could just as easily microwave a marshmallow for five seconds and then spread the sticky residue over the glass’s rim.

Add some more of the fluffy treat and a couple of straws, which I covered with fruit loops (Pixy Stix also work), and ta-da! You’ve got a lovely Valentine’s Day centerpiece and snack for later. Trust me when I say the hardest part was the temptation to not eat everything while making it.

Source for this craft: Mama’s a Mess

Valentine’s Day is coming up next week. Oh, no – are you still not sure what to get that special someone? No worries! Our Edge staffers found inspiration on the Internet to craft Valentine’s Day-themed items and took out all the guesswork of whether a DIY present lives up to its name. They waded through the search for the perfect materials, improvised when instructions were incomplete, and ended up with festive crafts that would make even Martha Stewart proud. We’ll be featuring new crafts all this week so keep checking back in!

The blog Joyfully Jensen featured a tutorial on these adorable owls for Valentine’s Day. Photo courtesy of Joyfully Jensen

Edge staffer Alexandra Rouse found the craft to be relatively easy despite encountering some problems with the ears. Photo by Alexandra Rouse

By Alexandra Rouse, Salem High School

At first glance, this toilet paper roll owl does not seem threatening at all, but through the eyes of a non-artsy person such as me, the task appeared to be daunting – and it was.

The hardest part? Making the ears of the owl. No instructions were provided for the creature’s ears so I was left to my own devices. With glue dripping down my hands and arms, I tried everything from cutting the paper to make ears to considering not even putting on the ears at all, but I had a revelation. Wiping my sticky hands on my sweatpants, I pinched the ends of the toilet paper roll inwards.

Other than the ears, the owl was fairly simple to make because all that really needed to be done was glue scrapbook paper around the outside of the owl. Even for a beginner, the cute little owl is the perfect craft to please just about anyone on Valentine’s Day.

Source for this craft idea: Joyfully Jensen