Everyone was bugging out for two nights in Marblehead High School auditorium last week when Glover Elementary School second and third graders started “Goin’ Buggy.”
The young thespians performed “Goin’ Buggy” by Jill Gallina for two nights. The production, which included numbers such as “That’s No Way to Treat a Ladybug,” “Firefly, Firefly,” and “The Honey Bee Song,” also had cast members dancing en masse to “The Buggy Wuggy.”
The students performed under the musical direction and to choreography by Francesca Simone. Art Direction was tackled by Tammy Picone Nohelty and Stage/performance direction was handled by Eric Fargo, who even fed Principal Brian Ota a line when he got stuck during the Thursday night performance.
Ota took to ask the ‘bugs,’ caterpillars, fireflies, honey bees, and ladybugs what they wanted and later to call for a vote on the bug’s bill of rights. What the little bugs wanted was simply, the right to vote, because some of them “to be quite candid were on the pilgrims when they landed.”
They also asked to have the phrases like “bug-eyed,” banned and to make bebop and the jitterbug the national dances along with other demands. They were successful in their quest.
When the play ended to cheers from the nearly filled auditorium, students swarmed the stage handing out flowers, thank yous, and hugs to the production team of teachers and staffers.
As one young ladybug handed Fargo a bouquet thanking him for his efforts, he laughed and thanked her saying, “I’ve never gotten flowers before.”