AJA Chagiga Stages Original Musical

Chagiga, (“celebration” in Hebrew), is a much-anticipated annual highlight of the academic year at Atlanta Jewish Academy (AJA). Each year’s Chagiga is written, directed, acted, staged, choreographed, costumed, and produced entirely by high school girls. Students oversee the off-stage aspects of the show as well, including set design, backstage responsibilities, props, and lights.

The 2024 Chagiga, “Mamma Mia!” opened Thursday evening, Feb. 1, with a second show on Sunday, Feb. 4, under the rubric “a play by women, for women.”

This year’s show was written and directed by senior, Leora Frank, who used songs by the group ABBA to infuse her story with the familiar music she set to original lyrics. Over the years, the Chagiga has established itself as an event that draws women from all sectors of the Jewish community who know that the evening will be an entertaining showcase for the creativity and skills of AJA teens.

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As one mother put it, “There was so much talent on the stage; Leora wrote a great script and cast it perfectly.”

This year’s show was written and directed by senior, Leora Frank, who used songs by the group ABBA to infuse her story with the familiar music she set to original lyrics.

Another member of the audience stated, “The girls were so natural on stage, so confident, and it was clear that the girls were enjoying themselves.”

The play was peppered with humorous moments that hit home. Many women in the audience related to actions in the play typical of today’s teens, including a moment when the girls “spontaneously” took a selfie on stage (it was in the script).

In one scene, the top of a brightly decorated graduation cap was modeled: selfies and decorated “mortar boards” succinctly characterized today’s adolescents. The cast of 12 included Hila Ben-Yaacov, Natalie Borochov, Birdie Freedman, Avigail Gadelov, Ayelet Hearshen, Eliana Linsider, Kayla Joel, Kayla Minsk, Gila Sadinoff, Hadara Seeman, Aiden Smolensky, and Gila Wenger.

In the introductory program notes of the playbill, Chagiga director Frank wrote, “Join us in celebrating the passion, dedication, and creativity of all the girls involved. Get ready to experience a show that will leave you singing, dancing, and falling in love with the magic of musical storytelling.”

Atlanta Jewish Academy recently held its annual Chagiga, on Feb. 1 and Feb. 4.

Members of the audience enthusiastically complied, as they followed the fast-moving plot, in which a subplot was cleverly interwoven into the story line. A final full-cast rousing chorus (with choreography) ensured that the audience did, indeed, leave the theater singing and dancing.

“Mamma Mia” takes place in an inn in Greece, owned by a widowed mother whose daughter is uncertain about leaving home and going to Israel after she graduates. The straightforward story line takes a radical turn when the daughter surprises her mother by inviting three old friends from whom her mother has been estranged as a result of long-ago misunderstandings. The misguided reunion threatens to ruin the celebration of the inn’s 18th anniversary until honest confrontations and admissions lead to forgiveness, repairing the bond the friends once had.

AJA performed an original version of “Mamma Mia!” penned by senior, Leora Frank.

A subplot concerning the mother’s intractable debt is also resolved when one of the old friends comes to the rescue. All’s well that ends well: the future of the inn is rosy, the mother and daughter’s relationship deepens, and the conflict resulting from the daughter’s well-intentioned, misfired surprise ends with a happy reunion. True friendship and family love triumph.

The show was produced by senior, Yael Mainzer, and this year’s Chagiga team included a junior director, Eliana Linsider, and junior producers, Dassie Chasen and Kayla Joel. The junior director and junior producers obtained hands-on experience for a future show in which they anticipate leadership responsibilities next year.

“Mamma Mia!” featured a lot of singing and dancing—and rehearsing—with musical direction by senior Hadara Seeman and choreography by senior Kayla Minsk, sophomore Gila Sadinoff, and director Frank. Scores of high school girls, working behind the scenes, did their part to ensure that the show ran smoothly.

Sets were deftly handled by an all-girl crew, headed by Izzy Khandadash, with props managed by Polina Vayner. Noa Geller and Talia Sarnat were in charge of costumes, and a team of high school girls helped with hair and makeup. Eliana Flusberg and Shira Oami led backstage responsibilities, supporting the action onstage.

Guests were treated to a delectable spread during intermission, with a buffet featuring food referencing Greece, which served as the story’s setting.

An elegant enhancement of Chagiga was the intermission’s dessert buffet, featuring food referencing Greece, where the show’s action takes place. Seniors, Ella Katz and Danit Kutner, and an aesthetically attuned group created the beautiful array of delicious food, and open areas of the school were decorated by student Zoe Kaiser-Blueth and her committee, creating a thematic ambience for the program.

Preceding each show, a d’var Torah and the recitation of Psalm 121 were delivered by Mollie Glaser, and Noemi Bader, and Tali Geller recited prayers for the Israeli soldiers and hostages still in captivity.

On-stage and off-stage theater opportunities for AJA students include a Junior Musical for elementary grades and a Middle School Spring Musical, as well as the annual high school Chagiga.

Atlanta Jewish Academy has a broad performing arts program, supervised by AJA Director of the Arts, Breit Katz. Acknowledging the hands-on skills the seniors acquired for Chagiga, Frank thanks Katz for being “an all-round helper, who supported the girls in whatever we needed” and who mentored girls in stagecraft, sound, and lighting. On-stage and off-stage theater opportunities for AJA students include a Junior Musical for elementary grades and a Middle School Spring Musical, as well as the annual high school Chagiga.

Talya Gorsetman was the Chagiga advisor. Her desire was to be supportive, yet non-intrusive, honoring the uniqueness of a completely student-run show. She explains, “As advisor, my role was to help the girls navigate the complexities of putting on a production of this scale. Primarily, I wanted to focus on implementing the director’s particular vision and to help make the strengths of each girl shine.”

And shine they did!