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By Mike Barnhardt
Enterprise Record

Brittany Darst is happy that the public is invited to the Davie High School Music Theater Department’s “All Together Now!” variety show.
She has two reasons.
First, people can see the amazing talent among the young people at Davie High.
And secondly, tickets are being sold to the show. Arts programs, like many others, have suffered during COVID closings. Those programs rely on ticket sales and other fund-raising efforts to keep shows on the stage, she said.
The upcoming show will be at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 15 in the school auditorium. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
Expect to hear 12 pieces from “Thoroughly Modern Millie” to “Waitress” to “Newsies.”
“We’ve got an extreme amount of talent here right now,” Darst said. “I’m very lucky.”
Fifteen of those students will take part in the show.
“They’re all good, but some are over the top, like they could be on The Voice. There’s a lot of hidden talent here.”
The show is being made possible by Music Theater International, which provided the legal rights to perform certain songs for free. “We took full advantage of that,” she said, adding that she and students went over the list to all pick out songs they wanted to perform.
This show is a fundraiser for the spring musical, “High School Musical!.” Darst said rights to such shows cost upwards of $4,000. “Then, we need to build a set, buy costumes.”
Darst got her interest in music and teaching naturally. “My dad was my high school band and chorus teacher. I thought, well, I’m good at music, so I guess this is what I’ll do, too.”
She came here a couple of years ago from Forsyth County, and loves the students and community. She’s had conversations with her students about people with polar opposite opinions, such as whether or not to wear a mask.
“You don’t have to know why, you just have to respect it,” she said. “I was impressed with how mature my students were in handling that.”
She expects that same level of maturity when rehearsals for High School Musical! begin in January. The fact the school presents musicals from classes impressed her about Davie County Schools.
“That was a huge selling point. Musicals are my love,” said Darst, also director of music at Clemmons Presbyterian Church. “I look forward to getting on the stage with this show.”