For more than 50 years, Ross Summer Music Theatre has produced a musical. Founders, Jerauld (Jerry) Reinhart, choral director at Merrillville High School for 39 years, and his wife, Margilee, envisioned a summer performance venue, an onstage classroom, for teens and young adults. They have been so successful, the MHS auditorium has been named the Reinhart Auditorium in their honor.
Meanwhile, son, Michael and his wife, Melinda, also on the Merrillville faculty, started their own company, M & M Productions, in a small storefront on Center Street in Hobart. Currently, M & M and RSMT co-produce the summer shows. This summer’s show, Leap of Faith, is directed by Michael Reinhart, with musical direction by Melinda Reinhart, who also choreographed the show with Jarius Newman and Genesis Williams.
The third generation, Lucas and Jacob Reinhart, have appeared in many of the family productions. In fact, Lucas, whom I first saw as a six-year-old playing the Teacup in Beauty and the Beast, is now 26 and starring as Jonas Nightengale in Leap of Faith.
The show flows well, the choreography is strong and the voices blend well, the choral robes are sparkly, but the plot is really predictable. The cast, however is huge, with multiple walk-on parts. I’m pretty sure that if you want to participate in an RSMT show, you’re welcome. Back in the day, a friend of mine told me she wanted to be in one of the shows because her granddaughter was in the cast. She was thrilled that she had a tiny walk-on part.
Jonas Nightengale and his sister, Sam (Olivia Gonzalez, Jasmine Jaramillo), are con artists, who finally found a gig that works – travel from town to town and preach the gospel – kind of a traveling medicine show – but bigger. They have a group of faithful followers, the Angels of Mercy, who travel with them. They’re short on money, so when their bus breaks down in a small town called Sweetwater, and they can’t get the parts to fix it for three days, Jonas decides to stay.
Jonas has a flirtation going with a local, but she turns out to be Sheriff Maria McGowan (Genesis Williams), and she’s not happy he’s preaching in her town. She does her best to run him out, especially since her son, Jake (Zachary Cox), is sure Jonas can cure him.
Ida Mae (Mia Godfrey) and her daughter Ornella (Tori Lee-Harden, Damiah Shaw) are two of the leaders of the Angels of Mercy. They are happy travelling with Jonas. When Ida Mae’s son Isaiah (Josh Roberts) turns up, she was thrilled to see him. Isaiah, who doesn’t trust Jonas, tries to persuade his mother to leave. When she won’t leave, he starts snooping for evidence that Jonas is cheating.
Angels of Mercy: Curtis Dickerson Jr., Aubrielle Evans, Naomi Fields, Mia Godfrey, Olivia Gonzalez, Jay-Lan Halliburton, Jasmine Jaramillo, Noah Jones, Tori Lee-harden, Brianna Koves, Jasmine McGee, Vittoria Madrigal, Jahlia Palega, Kemiyah Pulliam, Bella Rose, Damiah Shaw, Olivia Tanzymore.
Also appearing: Zak (Xavier King), Carl (Nathan Jones), Rosa (Samantha Sampson), Hettie (Victoria Pujoe), Ta’rea (Alexandria Bowman), Carrie (Alexus McGrigg), Worried Mother (Fallon Thigpen), Farmer Raylove (Alex Tarnowski), Susie Raylove (Amillie Almaraz), Ray (Adam Clough), Emma Schlarp (Madalyn Grady), Amanda Wayne (Asher Bulanda, Fallon Thigpen), Angry Man (Eric Fischer), Deputy Trooper (Alex Tarnowski)
Townspeople of Sweetwater: Anaiah Bennett, Neal Brown, Madison Gray, John Hoynes, Skyler Klein, Collin Koves, Angelina Martin, Caitlin Perosky, Audrey Prieto, Isis Selby, Savannah Shirley, Gabi Stack, Jayden Stovall.
Orchestra under the direction of Melinda Reinhart: Violin, Kristen Hughes, Lewis Hul Stahl; Viola, Margaret Caraher; Cello, Michael Ferraro; Bass, Matthew Egener; Woodwinds, Linnea Bessette, Ryan Claus, Ichiho Kanemoto; Trumpet, Brian Crane, Emily Reed, Tom Reed; Trombone, Len Bessette, Pete Bessette; Percussion, Dan Houston; Guitar, Jalen Wilson; Keyboards, Joy Brown, Valerie Cook.
Leap of Faith, a musical based on the 1992 movie starring Steve Martin, was written by Janus Cercone and Warren Leight, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater. Leap of Faith had its premiere in Los Angeles in 2010, not opening on Broadway until 2012.
The Ross Summer Music Theatre production of Leap of Faith ran for two weekends in August at the Reinhart Auditorium, Merrillville High School.