All high schools in district 91 join forces for high school musical

School district 91 music program leaders think it’s the only district in the state that does a high school musical that recruits talent from all the middle and high schools in the district.

It’s a tradition that dates back 36 years to 1981. School officials are not certain why the district decided to do it, but the leads in this year’s show, “My Fair Lady,” think it’s a great idea.

Emily McAllister who plays the leading role of Eliza Doolittle is a sophomore at Idaho Falls High School.

“We’re not just drawing from one school,” McAllister said. “We get people from Skyline and Compass and I.F., so then we get the talents that come with them.”

Corbin Cook who plays the male lead, Henry Higgins is a senior at Compass Academy. He likes the district wide idea too.

“You get to have lots of different people from lots of different schools that maybe never would have met if not for the production,” Cook said.

Even the live orchestra has musicians from all three high schools and Taylorview Middle School. Many schools use canned or recorded music tracks for their musicals. The orchestra members feel they make an important contribution too.

“It just adds another level of humanity to it and a different level of performance, so it’s a great advantage,” trumpet player Ben Pinkham said.

In sports, the district 91 high schools may be rivals, but when it comes to the annual musical, they’re all on the same team.

“My Fair Lady” runs March 10,11,13,14 at the Compass Academy theater. It begins at 7 pm. Tickets are available at the door. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students.