Chocachatti’s “Goal” is to Teach and Entertain

Although performing the vibrant musical “Goal” has been an annual tradition for at least the past three years for third graders at Chocachatti Elementary School, the music, drama and dance instructors manage to keep it fresh. The January 23rd production was no exception. Under the expert direction of drama teacher Irmarie Kraft, music instructor Nancy Kraus, and dance teacher Rhonda Bowers, this class of eight and nine-year-olds gave a flawless performance. Along with being entertained, the audience of students, teachers, and parents learned life lessons, such as the importance of sportsmanship.

The cast members also learned values, such as discipline, confidence, team work and pride in a job well done. As anyone who has performed on stage knows, it takes hours of rehearsal, to bring a show like this together. It also requires extra effort on the part of the teachers. However, many of the students have performed in shows at Chocachatti before, starting in first grade, which made the job a little easier for the teachers.

The play was entitled “Goal” and it was all about the game of soccer or, as it is known in most other countries around the world, football. The story revolves around a group of children learning all about the game and especially one child who doesn’t understand why it’s called “the beautiful game”− a phrase coined by football legend Pelé.

Mya Villemair, who danced and sang in the play, stated that her favorite part about her performance was singing the song “It’s Not if You Win,” a catchy Broadway-style tune that emphasized the importance of how you play the game over just winning. As she interpreted it, “Even if you lose, you’ll still be good at doing it.”

Although Mya enjoys singing, she’s decided she doesn’t want to pursue a career in show business. She would like to be a veterinarian because she loves animals. Right now, there’s a snake, turtle, bird, Dachshund, and French Bull Dog as members of her household.

Zephyr Forrest plays the part of Jessica. Along with having a few lines to say, she sang “Cup of Life” and danced to the song “Awesome,” an uplifting tune all about instilling pride.

Prior to the show, Zephyr commented that her favorite part was having lines to say, but admitted to being “a tiny bit nervous.”

Adalyn Deanet portrayed a cheerleader, as well as singing and dancing. The cheerleaders displayed agility in doing splits and other moves. “I liked dancing to ‘Waka Waka’ [one of the songs that had a decidedly African beat] because I like being with my class and dancing with them. We have lots of fun.”

Adalyn has been performing in dance recitals since she was in kindergarten and would like to become a dancer one day.

Gianna Whitney sang and danced in the play, along with being a cheerleader. “My favorite part about being in the play is that I can learn different cheer moves. I’d like to be a cheerleader when I get older,” Gianna remarked.

Rylee Diffendal has multiple roles in the show, including speaking parts and dance routines, along with singing. “My favorite thing is speaking because I like to express myself,” said Rylee.

Aliyah LoBianco plays the part of Alex Morgan, an actual professional woman soccer star. She’s well-suited to the part since she plays forward on a soccer team. “I like the singing and speaking parts and I love the dancing. I dance to ‘Cup of Life’.”

The play was fast-paced and featured a wide variety of songs and dances. These included “Allé, Allé,” a rousing tune with a decidedly Latin flavor; a rap song entitled “Kick It;” and “El Juego Bonito,” (“A Beautiful Game”) which has a tango beat.

Making special appearances in the play were well-known professional soccer players, such as Pelé; Christiano Ronaldo; and Abby Wambach, an Olympic gold medalist.
Picky Patty, doesn’t understand why everybody thinks that soccer is a “beautiful game.” In one of the most humorous parts of the play, she confuses soccer with baseball, football and basketball. In the end, she comes to realize the beauty in soccer.

There are also some funny, albeit corny jokes, such as “Why does a soccer player stay cool?” To which the other half of the standup team says, “Because he has so many fans.”

Another funny line is “No whining in soccer,” reminiscent of “There’s no crying in baseball,” the famous line in A League of Their Own.

It’s probably a sure bet that “Goal” will be performed by a new class of third graders next year and once again the talented teachers and students will have the opportunity to delight audiences.

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