A cockroach who writes love poems to a free-spirited alley cat has been spotted at Rollings Middle School and will soon be seen at another school. That’s the premise of “Archy and Mehitabel,” a jazz musical. Rollings students will perform five times next week at Ashley Ridge High School.
The musical had a short run on Broadway in the 1950s under the name “Shinbone Alley” and was a cartoon in the 1960s, Rogers says. The script is by Joe Darion and Mel Brooks, with music by George Kleisinger, lyrics by Joe Darion.
Arhcy (Damondre Green) is a cockroach who lives at a newspaper and writes poems on reporter’s typewriters at night. Archy can only type in lowercase because he can’t reach the “shift” key. The poems were originally written by Don Marquis in the 1920s, Rollings musical theatre teacher Amy Rogers says.
Archy wants to turn Mehitabel (Luna Bozeman) into a respectable housecat, but eventually realizes you can’t change a person, Rogers says. The moral of the story is to be careful what you wish for . . . when Archy gets Mehitabel to change, it effects their friendship, she says.
Rogers is a former English teacher. This is her fourth time directing Rollings students in a musical. She says this play is more abstract than previous ones and doesn’t have a very strong plotline. “It’s more about Archy’s musings,” she says.
Rogers directed “Seussical the Musical” in 2007, “The Wiz” in 2008  and “How To Eat Like A Child” in 2009.
“Choreography is the most difficult and hardest to control. I like a lot of different choreography and different movement on stage.”
The 45 students in Rogers’ class have rehearsed during and after school in the Rollings cafeteria since February. On Monday and Tuesday the cast will rehearse the hour and a half performance from start to finish at ARHS, Rogers says. The jazz ensemble is made up of teachers and former Rollings students, she says.
“The (Rollings) cafeteria is the only room big enough for the size of the ensemble,” Rogers says. “Kids have had a hard time visualizing space.”
Students auditioned to be in the one-hour music theatre class, which is an “exploratory,” or elective that began at the start of the school year. On Feb. 16 the class learned and rehearsed dance steps choreographed to music. Others fine tuned their blocking, which the class has worked on since January. Rogers says the students are doing well and are excited about performing.
As she guided students through rehearsals, Rogers’ husband built set pieces at the school.

If you go

Where: Ashley Ridge High School Auditorium
When: March 10, 11, 12 at 10 a.m.
March 11, 12 at 7 p.m.
For tickets contact: rollingsboxoffice@yahoo.com