Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
- Students at Pine View High School created "Meesical the Musical" to honor retiring Principal Mike Mees.
- The musical features adapted Broadway songs and original text based on Mees' life.
- Students praised Mees for being a welcoming, supportive principal to all.
ST. GEORGE — More than a dozen students are honoring their retiring principal with a brand new musical based completely on his life.
"Meesical the Musical" features classic Broadway songs rewritten to be about Pine View High School Principal Mike Mees. Using songs from "Hamilton" to "Les Miserables" to "Matilda" to "Newsies" and a dozen other musicals, Mees' life will be portrayed by his adoring students.
Learning the students wanted to perform a tribute for him "really touched my heart," Mees said.
"I don't know what the show is all about yet, I'll find out (Thursday), but I can guarantee they will bring their game face and their A game, and it will be a great show," Mees said.
Theater teacher Kelly Thomas first thought of creating a tribute for the principal when she was doing her yearly planning, contemplating which shows would be the best for her students. After months of telling everyone the spring show would be a Vaudeville review, she finally confessed her secret to the students in February at the audition.
Her high school and middle school students immediately ran with the idea, brainstorming ideas on which iconic Broadway songs could be adapted to the life stories they received from Mees' family. Some of the songs just worked perfectly, thematically, with stories they learned of their principal, the students said.
Instead of just learning the songs, dancing and acting for this show, the students collaborated to rewrite songs and write out the story to make "one beautiful big piece," student Breelle Paxman said.
The text for the show is all original, utilizing songs with adapted lyrics to fill in the rest.
"I'm a firm believer that theater is more than entertainment — it can educate, it can inspire, but no matter what, it's got to be the thing that continues the narrative of our community. If we aren't putting those stories out there, we are doing a disservice to our lineage," Thomas said.
"To be able to put out little stories, it's like one one-millionth of this man's career, but that's what we are doing. We want to put that story out there so it lives on and on, and that's the power of live theater," she added.
As if writing a whole new musical wasn't challenging enough, almost all of the students have had other commitments — Sterling Scholar, regional band performances, state theater competitions and more — in the weeks leading up to Thursday's opening night.
Even though the students don't feel ready, Thomas said they are so excited to show off their hard work.
Mees said Thomas always says it feels like the shows aren't ready, but the students always put on incredible performances.
"When these talented kids take to the stage, it happens. They are so talented that for those in the audience, it looks like they have been polished for months. I know they are going to put on a great show," he said.
While a lot of people see Pine View High School as a strong school athletically, Mees said the real strength of the school lies in its performing arts.
"They are unbelievable. This is the flagship of our school, really, are these kids here, as well as our choir, our band, our orchestra," Mees said while surrounded by the theater students. "This is something we love to do, is support these kids because their talent is just as great, if not greater, than any athletic team we have."
A welcoming atmosphere
After more than two decades at Pine View, Mees will be taking a well-deserved retirement. His students say his standout quality is how much he makes every student feel valued.
"Doing this show is a really great way to show his legacy to those, like our middle schoolers, who don't get to have him as their principal, but they can at least see some of the things he has done for our school," student Jayla Eves said.
Mees always made students feel included and would remind them "to make it a great day to be a panther," she added.
Pine View is full of people from diverse backgrounds, cultures and interests, and Mees has a way of making each person feel welcomed and bringing all the students together as "a big awesome group of panthers," Paxman added.
Ellie McDaniel is part of a lot of extracurriculars and said Mees is "so freaking supportive of everything." He is always spectating the sports games, sitting in the audience at fine arts performances, attending club events, pushing the students to be better and encouraging service in the community through fundraising for families in need.
"The man gets around," Thomas joked.
As students shared their thoughts on Mees with KSL.com, the principal started tearing up,
"Whenever you see him in the hallway, he's always sporting a smile, and it really just makes your day. You can tell he cares. You can feel the care and love he has in his heart for his students. At the end of the day, no matter what you do, he wants you to succeed and will be there for you whenever," student Hailey Layton said.
Thomas praised Mees' investment in the school and the students. After 22 years, it can be easy to give up or feel the burnout, but she said Mees has been "running that race 100% to the end."
"I think that is the service to education. You need the investment, and you need someone who actually cares. It's more than a paycheck for this man. He is there. He is committed," she said.
"Meesical the Musical" will be performed Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday at 7 p.m. at Pine View High School. There will also be a matinee Saturday at 2 p.m.
"We can write the musical, but the stories — it's easy because of him. He gave us everything we needed," Thomas said.
