Ranked, A Musical is a unique piece of theatre. With a book by Kyle Holmes and music/lyrics by David Taylor Gomes, Ranked is lightning in a bottle. Tucson theatre veteran Richard Gremel directs an outstanding cast of young performers. When I say Ranked is unique I truly mean it. This is a professional-quality show being presented on Live Theatre Workshop’s mainstage as a children’s theatre offering, and every single kid was on that stage for a reason. Holmes and Gomes (a fun pairing of names) have crafted a delicious and biting look under the microscope at teenage school life. The premise is in the title; high schoolers fight tooth and nail to become the top academically-ranked students. The twists this story takes will indeed surprise you.
Gremel is at the top of his game as a director here. I have always had an admiration for Gremel’s work. To see him work wonders with twenty exceptional youth and present that work in such a polished and professional manner is nothing short of inspiring. All twenty of the young actors most definitely have a bright future in theatre. Jadyn Gillette, Nathaniel Wiley, Chloe Harris, Kellen Tanner, Mary Elda Olmsted, Ivy Buffalo, Kennedy George, Sydney Johnson, Eli Sallard, Ray Jones, Rowan Sandeen, Braeley McIntire, Kai Piers, Ila Olmsted, Natasha Mascarenas, Harmony Garner, Salem Hernandez, Ashlynn Gillis, Ash Castro-Merriam, and Greyson Pfannenstiel all light up the stage.
Music direction by Jonathan Heras was first-rate. I am familiar with his work as an actor, but I was also impressed with the strong vocals and diction. This was by no means an easy score, and I’m sure it was unfamiliar to the young actors at first glance. It should also be noted that LTW did not use mics for this show, so the projection of each young artist was outstanding. There were no weak links. The tracks were on the soft side so voices could be heard, so it was doubly impressive that all actors were able to stay perfectly synced with the music. Going without mics worked and the sound was excellent…