Tag Archives: 2024-25

Entertainment

From Stage to Stardom: Stars with Theater Roots

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By Sienna Lamond, ’26

Staff Writer

Singers and actors dominate pop culture. They are praised for their talents in the music, TV and film industries. What may come as a surprise is that some of our favorite stars actually got their start in theater. While some may consider theater small-time compared to stadium tours, TV shows and movie theaters, it has propelled many performers to stardom. Is your favorite artist or actor among the stars that started as thespians?

Sabrina Carpenter

Carpenter is best known for her pop music career, specifically her 2024 album Short and Sweet, and her acting career, especially her role in the spinoff of Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World. Carpenter’s career was propelled into the stratosphere when she toured with Taylor Swift in the South American leg of the Eras Tour. Since then, Carpenter has become one of the many iconic pop girls of the decade. Carpenter’s talents do not only stop at pop music and film acting, however. In 2020, she made her Broadway debut as Cady in Mean Girls the musical. Unfortunately, her run was cut short due to pandemic lockdowns. Still, our favorite pop girly knows her way around a Broadway stage!

Ryan Gosling

Most recently known for his role as Ken in Barbie, a 2023 movie about the Mattel doll starring Margot Robbie, Gosling went viral with the iconic “I’m Just Ken” musical number. This performance, though, was not the first time Gosling had danced on stage. Circa 1992, Gosling was part of a jazz dance group. This style of dance is the basis for much of the musical theater dance style, making Gosling fully prepared for his future musical number in Barbie.

Hugh Jackman

Jackman is an Australian actor known for his role as Wolverine in Logan and X-Men. Unlike others whose acting career is separate from their theater background, Jackman has tied his theatrical nature into his film work. In 2012, Jackman starred as Jean Valjean in the film adaptation of Broadway show Les Misérables. He is also recognized for his portrayal of P.T. Barnum in the movie musical The Greatest Showman (2018). In 2022, Jackman appeared on Broadway itself in the revival of The Music Man with Sutton Foster, a talented Broadway star, who he is now rumoured to be dating. Seems like even professionals can’t escape ‘showmances’!

Andrew Garfield

Best known for playing Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man films in 2012 and 2014, Garfield has numerous on-stage experiences. His portrayal of Prior Walter in Angels in America earned him a Tony Award, the highest accolade for theater performances. He also notably played Bill Loffman in the revival of Death of a Salesman, which also garnered him a Tony Award. Garfield’s film career reflected his theater roots in the 2021 movie musical, Tick, Tick… Boom!, a film detailing the life of Jonathan Larson, the troubled composer of the Tony-award winning musical Rent. Who knew Spider-Man could sing!?

Anna Kendrick

Most recently recognized for her leading role in Netflix’s original movie Woman of the Hour, Kendrick is not shy about her theater background. At age 12, she made her Tony-nominated Broadway debut in High Society as Dinah Lord. Since then, Kendrick has been in several movie musical adaptations and originals, including Into The Woods (Cinderella), Trolls (Poppy), Pitch Perfect (Beca), and The Last Five Years (Cathy) alongside Broadway superstar Jeremy Jordan who played Jamie.

Nick Jonas

Jonas is best known for his participation in the Jonas Brothers band with his brothers Joe and Kevin. Pop singing isn’t the only trick this Jonas brother has up his sleeve, however. Jonas appeared in the 2010 25th anniversary special of the musical Les Misérables singing as Marius. Now, Jonas is starring on Broadway as Jamie in The Last Five Years. While the musical theater community has attacked Jonas for his vocal abilities not being ‘theater appropriate,’ that hasn’t stopped him from working on musical theater projects thus far.

Reneé Rapp

Rapp is one of the youngest people to star in a Broadway show. While she is widely known for her 2023 pop music album, Snow Angel, she was originally discovered when she won the Jimmy Awards in 2018. The Jimmy Awards is a prestigious nationwide competition and recognition event for high school students in musical theater. Rapp won “Best Performance by an Actress,” granting her a $10,000 scholarship. At just 19 years old, she was cast as Regina George in the Mean Girls musical on Broadway and later reprised the role in the 2024 movie musical adaptation.

Mike Faist

Faist is known to most as Art Donaldson in Challengers, a movie about a tennis love triangle, also starring Zendaya and Josh O’Connor. Faist originated the role of Connor in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. Before that, Faist worked as a Jack Kelley understudy in the Broadway musical Newsies. He is also recognized as Riff in the West Side Story (2021) remake. Overall, Faist is a talented theater kid at heart, dabbling in the film industry. Movie audiences hope to see more of him in the future!

Olivia Rodrigo

Rodrigo has been performing on stage since she was very young, as you can see in various videos of her belting her heart out circulating on the Internet. She played Gertrude McFuzz in her elementary school’s production of Seussical the musical. She gained popularity for her roles in Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Now, Rodrigo is a world-famous pop star with two studio albums, Sour (2021) and Guts (2023). Through her pop songs, her theater roots shine as much of her music is vocally challenging and requires theatrical technique to sustain vocal health. Another decade-defining pop girly to make theater kids proud!

Ariana Grande

Grande, a pop artist, is not secretive when it comes to her love for theater. As a child, Grande worked with the Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theater, for which she played Annie in Annie, and other roles in Beauty and the Beast and the Wizard of Oz. At 15, she made her Broadway debut in 13: The Musical as Charlotte, earning her a National Youth Theater Association Award. For years, Grande has outwardly expressed her love for the Broadway show Wicked. When she was a little girl, she and her mother won a backstage experience at Wicked on Broadway, allowing her to meet Kristen Chenoweth, the show’s original Glinda. Ever since, Grande has aspired to play Glinda and made fans proud and excited when she portrayed the role in the Wicked movie musical that was released this past fall.

Timotheé Chalamet

Chalamet, the star of A Complete Unknown, made his Broadway debut in 2016 in the play Prodigal Son. Chalamet was destined for the stage as he attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, allowing him to participate in theater arts daily. In 2011 he appeared in a stage play called The Talls at Second Stage Uptown. Recently he was featured in the movie musical prequel to Roald Dahl’s fantastical world of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory titled Wonka. In this film, he showcased his triple-threat theater talent, truly bringing his character to life with his own theatrical charm.

Sebastian Stan

SStan is a Romanian-born actor who recently won a Golden Globe for his work in A Different Man. He also notably portrayed Donald Trump in the 2024 film The Apprentice, Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Captain America franchise, and Tommy Lee in Pam & Tommy. While Stan has had an extensive film career, he’s also had his fair share of time on the stage. In 2007 he was in Talk Radio on Broadway, and he appeared on Broadway again in 2012’s Picnic. Stan went to college at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and he studied at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London for a year.

Jonathan Bailey

Bailey is best known for his portrayal of Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix series Bridgerton, based on the books by Julia Quinn. He also starred as Fiyero in last fall’s movie musical Wicked. In 2018, Bailey played Jamie in the West End revival of the musical Company. This part was originally written as a female role named Amy, who sings a hysterical song titled “I Am Not Getting Married Today” in which parts of the song require roughly six words to be sung every second. Being a stunning actor, Bailey was selected for the role. Additionally, Bailey made appearances in The York Realist and King Lear. In 2017, he played Jamie in The Last Five Years in London. You can see him live on stage now at the Bridge Theater in London where he’s playing Richard II in William Shakespeare’s Richard II!

Chris Evans

Captain America himself, Evans, is not a stranger to the stage. As a child, Evans participated in productions with the Concord Youth Theater company. Since his professional career took off, he’s been a philanthropist of the company and helped them secure a permanent location in Concord, Mass. In 2017, Evans was persuaded by Mckenna Grace and Ellen Degeneres to show off his tap dancing skills while on the Ellen show during a press tour for the film Gifted. Turns out, Evans grew up tap dancing, a hallmark dance style of musical theater.

Rachel Zegler

How does one become more of a theater kid than Zegler? When she was just a senior in high school, she was cast as Maria in the 2021 remake of the West Side Story movie musical. At the time, Zegler was playing the role of Fiona in her high school’s production of Shrek: The Musical. Supposedly, she asked West Side Story director Steven Spielberg if she could delay filming so she could finish her senior musical — now that is commitment! Zegler is also known for playing Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Recently, Zegler played Snow White in the movie musical reimagining of the 1937 classic fairytale, Snow White. Though the film did not receive good reviews, it is certainly not for Zegler’s lack of trying or talent. She made her Broadway debut in Romeo and Juliet in 2024 at the Circle in the Square Theater, which shares a building with the famous Wicked theater, the Gershwin. In this revival of William Shakespeare’s timeless play, Jack Antonoff wrote music specifically for Zegler to sing as an addition to the original story. Romeo + Juliet received glowing reviews from critics and is nominated for “Best Revival of a Play” by the Outer Critics Circle.

Kristen Bell

Bell, known by the younger generation as the voice of Anna in Frozen (2013) is recognized by others for The Good Place (2016-2020), When in Rome (2010), and Nobody Wants This (since 2024). She began her theater career as Dorothy in her high school’s production of The Wizard of Oz. After graduating from high school, Bell went on to study at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. In 2001, Bell made her Broadway debut in the musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The following year she appeared in The Crucible on Broadway. Later, she starred in an off-Broadway musical called Reefer Madness in 2003.

Amanda Seyfried

Seyfried became a household name after her hilarious performance as Karen Smith in Mean Girls (2004). In 2015, she made her off-Broadway debut in The Way We Get By by Neil LaBute. Through her film career, Seyfried has showcased her theater talent. She first sang on-camera in Mamma Mia!, a film adaptation of the ABBA jukebox musical. She also appeared in the Mamma Mia! film sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again in 2018. In 2012, she played the role of adult Cosette in the movie musical Les Miserables with costars Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne, and others.

Eddie Redmayne

The Oscar-winning actor from The Theory of Everything, Redmayne has had an extensive stage career. Most recently, he played Emcee in the Broadway revival of the musical Cabaret. Also on stage, he won an Olivier Award for his performance in the play Red at the Donmar Warehouse. He was also in Richard II in 2011-2012 and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? in 2004. Bringing his theater roots to the screen, Redmayne portrayed Marius in the 2012 Les Miserables movie musical along with two others on this list: Amanda Seyfried and Hugh Jackman.

Christian Slater

The star of Heathers (1988), Slater has built up his career with theater credits on and off-Broadway. Slater originated the character Clifford in the 1998 Broadway play Side Man. Later, in 2005, he played Tom Wingfield in the Broadway revival of The Glass Menagerie. This past winter, Slater debuted in his first off-Broadway play called The Curse of the Starving Class as the character Weston.

Taylor Swift

The world-famous pop star is most recently known for her theatrical interpretation of her musical discography in the Eras Tour. As a child, it is known that Swift wrote music, but she also participated in local theater. She played Maria in The Sound of Music at the Berks Youth Theater Company. At that company, she was also in productions of Grease, Annie, and Bye Bye Birdie. While on the Graham Norton show, Swift admitted to auditioning for the Les Miserables movie, but she did not get a role in the film. However, she did get a role in the 2019 movie musical of the Andrew-Lloyd Webber musical Cats as Bombalurina. Fans thought this role suited her, considering the love she’s expressed for her pet cats. Swift is a prime example of how participating in theater can hone the skills necessary for a successful career!

Opinion

Does the MCAS Still Matter?

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By Danny, Campbell, ’27

Staff Writer

So I bet most of you are aware of the fact that on November 6th, the people of Massachusetts voted in favor of getting rid of MCAS as a graduation requirement. I personally believe this was a great decision, since it means that students won’t have to worry about not getting their diploma for scoring poorly on it. However, I think we still have to take the standardized tests seriously because of how much they still can affect students and our school.

The MCAS, or Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, is a series of standardized tests created in 1993. Starting in third grade, all students take tests in English Language Arts and Math. A Science, Technology and Engineering exam is given in grades five and eight. Civics is administered to 8th graders and biology is given to 9th graders. Passing the tests had been a requirement for a diploma in Massachusetts, while schools used the data to evaluate teaching and learning. After the vote, the graduation requirement has been removed, but schools are still giving the tests to collect information.

But how did this movement to remove the MCAS graduation requirement get onto the ballot in the first place? You see, this movement was started by a mom in Lexington and the Massachusetts Teachers Association because they felt like MCAS was unfair to students who don’t take tests well. The movement was further spread by Adriana Mason and another mom from Hanover who helped to get the word out locally and get the question on the ballot.

One of the main concerns that went into having MCAS as a graduation requirement is the belief that students with special needs are treated unfairly by the system. I can relate to this concern from personal experience; while I was in elementary and middle school, I was given extra support in my classes to address my needs. However, when you are taking the MCAS, you are not allowed to have the same extra support you have had for the entire year. This would cause issues for students, who might have to take the high school tests repeatedly to finally earn a passing grade and qualify for their diploma. Teachers were forced to spend a lot of time each year preparing students for MCAS. It is either that or risk having students unprepared for test day.

Between 2003 and 2024, 400-450 students left HHS without their diploma, according to Mason. This large number has to do with their MCAS grades, and many of the students impacted were students with disabilities. Most students with disabilities already have hard lives, and not being able to get their diploma made their lives unfairly harder. Without a diploma, your job opportunities are reduced. You cannot go to college or into the military, and you cannot become a police officer or firefighter. Thankfully, with this law passing, students who graduated HHS from the 2003-2024 are able to now receive their diploma.

With all of that being said, and with the ELA test taking place at the high school this week, it leads me back to my question, “should we still be worried about the MCAS?” I will say once more that I am beyond glad that this law has passed, and I have NO complaints about this vote. However, as a sophomore, it feels very anti-climactic after being told numerous times since middle school that the 10th grade MCAS was the extremely important one that would determine whether or not I received a diploma. Now, the test feels just like an extra thing to do.

Still, my final verdict is that while MCAS shouldn’t be treated AS seriously as it was in previous years, I do believe students should still try to do well. The test results will be used to check in on how students are doing in school, and to make sure that teachers are successfully providing instruction in important skills. All of this can now be done without stressing out students yearround.

featured image: https://www.boston.com/news/education/2021/09/21/mcas-scores-2021-pandemic/

Sports

Girls Soccer Works to Retain Momentum of Past Seasons

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by Emily Davis, ’27

Sports Editor

There is no doubt that Hanover Girls Varsity Soccer has had amazing seasons. They won the Division 3 state championship in 2022 and made it to the state finals in 2023. But with the graduation of many seniors, this year’s team is facing a rebuilding season.

Led by senior captains Callie Baldwin, Hannah Geary and Sophie Schiller, the 2024 team has gone 7-4-1 in its first 12 games, and was ranked 8th in the Oct. 8 MIAA state power rankings. In an interview with The Hawk, Baldwin, Geary and senior Savannah Draheim agreed the 2024 team has had a slow start and is trying to find its rhythm. 

The team started the season with a tie and a loss, won the next five games and then lost two back to back before winning the next two. The rollercoaster season can be attributed in part to the loss of nine seniors to graduation, including goalie Natalie Mutschler. Despite the girls’ struggle to find their groove, there have been bright spots. Junior Maelyn Foley was named a Boston Globe Eastern Mass Player of the Week on Sept 25 for scoring one goal in a 2-1 league win against Silver Lake and two in a 2-1 defeat of North Quincy.

When asked their goals for this year, Draheim said, “We want to win the league, but have to beat Scituate on senior night.” That big game is scheduled for Oct. 22 at 6:30 pm.

When the team won the state championship in 2022, it was the first title in 20 years. The 1-0 loss to Norwell in the 2023 title game was a heartbreaker after an exciting tournament run.

The regular season ends Oct. 25. Schedule and scores can be found on Arbiter Sports or by following Hanover HS Athletics on X, formerly Twitter.

Opinion

Not to Get Political, but We Need to Talk about Politics

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By Sienna Lamond, ’26

Staff Writer

With this year’s presidential election being at the forefront of news media nationwide, it’s important to remember what this really means. We, as a nation, are voting to put the best representation of what the United States is and what the United States stands for into our highest executive seat. We are giving that person the power to control policies that touch every aspect of our lives. This person needs to be reasonable, intelligent, honest, and most importantly, strong. The two major candidates are Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. Both candidates certainly have characteristics of a good leader, and, of course, they both have their flaws. So how do you decide which one to support? 

The news media, as indifferent as it likes to appear, is always biased. It’s a known fact that Fox News tends to be “right-leaning” while CNN tends to sway to the “left.” Due to this, if you get your information solely from one of those sources, you cannot get a complete, honest picture. Furthermore, even if you watch both stations, it can get confusing. An action or event that is glorified by one news outlet could be condemned by the other. How do you tell which one is accurate, which one is skewed, and which one is closest to the truth? It seems as though people are willing to believe anything if it is presented by a well-known source, despite the questionable reliability of said source.

It is this willingness to believe anything a news outlet or a candidate says, no matter how absurd, that has doomed America, in my opinion. That is why I believe that education about politics should be encouraged. This has not always been supported in all public schools, however. Some argue that discussing topics such as politics or religion in school is indoctrination, which has caused many debates across the country in recent years. It is not indoctrination to be taught how the United States government works. It is not indoctrination to present a person with all the factual information, good and bad, and from there allow the person to develop their personal opinion, set of beliefs, and value system. I believe this education starts with parents. 

I am fortunate that in my home, I am encouraged to speak openly about my beliefs. I don’t always agree with my parents. Sometimes family dinners turn into full-on debate sessions. I like this intellectual exercise, and although my parents don’t always agree with me, they always appreciate my willingness to make an argument for something in which I believe. In my home, individuality, education, and disagreement are valued and even encouraged. My social worker mother and registered nurse father believe this is how we grow. We have to be open to accepting the perspectives of others as valid and valuable even when we may disagree with every fiber of our being. That is the beauty of living in this country – we are ALL entitled to our [political] opinions. In many homes, politics is either taboo or not up for discussion; children must believe what their parents believe, becoming what could be perceived as carbon copies of their parents. This occurs at both extremes of the spectrum, and maybe I am also a product of my parents’ liberal views. I believe that no parent or adult should force their beliefs on children but rather encourage young people’s intellectual growth through open and raw discourse on controversial topics.

Let me give you a benign example of what I mean when I refer to involuntary indoctrination. I was sitting in the car with my mom one day, with the radio playing some random station. I  didn’t recognize the song, but my mom did. It was Elton John. “Ugh, I hate Elton John,” my mom said, frustrated, and changed the station. In my head, that statement translated to Elton John is a bad artist. If my mom didn’t like him, then he obviously isn’t very good. I worship the ground my mother walks on and I value her opinion so much that I used to accept what she said as truth and fact. I’ve since learned that my mom’s opinions are not the only opinions out there, and just because she doesn’t like something doesn’t mean that I am not allowed to like it. I don’t think my mom was forcing me to also dislike Elton John, but children are impressionable, and children pick up on what their parents say. This is why I encourage people, regardless of what you believe or what values you have, to always be open to calm and respectful discussion so that young people can learn what cooperative discourse looks like.

In recent years, I have observed that politics is a continuing taboo in everyday life. Adults don’t want to discuss it with children and adolescents don’t want to discuss it with adults. This appears to be due to fear of confrontation or disagreement. In my opinion, this is the most dangerous fear in American society. We cannot be afraid to discuss controversial topics such as politics. We have to embrace the good and bad, learn and accept from what is, and move on stronger and smarter with a more comprehensive understanding of ourselves and others. It is of utmost importance to talk about politics for the sake of our country. Adolescents need to be educated on controversial topics so that when they become adults they can make informed and mature decisions about what they support and how they choose to exercise that right as Americans.

This country is special for so many reasons, the main one being that we are allowed to disagree with each other and our leaders. A government run by the people is one that is stronger than any other, which is why we cannot lose it. Nothing is accomplished by ignoring big topics or major problems because they make you uncomfortable. I am fortunate enough to have grown up in a household where I am free to formulate my own opinions, and that is valued. My parents challenge me to think critically about controversial topics and come to my own conclusions rather than accept their opinions as undeniable truth and fact. No matter which candidate you choose to support this upcoming election, I implore you to be open to acknowledging and accepting the opinions of others. Remember that it is because of our democratic society that we are able to formulate our own unique perspectives on every concept presented to us. To preserve what the United States is and what we stand for, educate yourself, educate your friends and family, and most importantly, educate your children. Your children will one day lead this country, so be mindful of your words and actions, as well as the criticisms you openly share in front of your children, because they are always listening. As composer Stephen Sondheim famously wrote in his musical masterpiece Into the Woods, “Be careful the things you say, children will listen. Be careful the things you do, children will see and learn. Children may not obey, but children will listen. Children will look to you for which way to turn to learn what to be. Careful before you say ‘listen to me,’ children will listen.”