Ringgold to bring back ’70s groove with annual spring musical ‘Disaster!’

The musical will debut 7 p.m. March 5 in the Ringgold High School auditorium.

Ringgold High School students will bring some notable 1970s pop classics back to life as they prepare to stage “Disaster!” the musical next week.

The students will present “Disaster!” at 7 p.m. March 5, 6 and 7, with a 1 p.m. matinee March 7 in the Ringgold High School auditorium, 1 Ram Drive, Carroll Township.

Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased online at https://gofan.co/app/ school/PA6539.

Students have been preparing for their annual spring musical since last fall, but as opening night gets closer, their excitement gets higher. Drama Director Kristie Rygiel-DeBor and music/pit orchestra Director Dawn Mason said that students have put all their effort into the musical.

“There are so many surprises, like hilarious surprises throughout the show that you just don’t see coming, and that’s one of the best elements of it,” Rygiel-DeBor said.

Mason said watchers will also love the discography.

“First, you’re gonna know all the songs,” Mason said. “Second, you will laugh all night long, totally 100%, and you’ll be like, ‘What on earth is gonna happen next?’” “Disaster!” is a jukebox musical comedy that adds a funny spin to disaster films from the 1970s. The musical debuted on Broadway in 2016, featuring iconic 1970s songs such as “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer, “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy, and “Knock on Wood” by Eddie Floyd.

Rygiel-DeBor and Mason said the recent snowstorm that left almost a foot of snow throughout the Mon Valley put them behind schedule, but added that they’re getting back on track.

“I just love to see when everything comes together,” Rygiel-DeBor said. “We talk about the line delivery and comedic timing, things like that, but whenever the kids finally get it, and they become their characters, that’s the best thing for me to see. And the weather would be the challenging part, just the fact that we’re a little bit behind.”

Rygiel-DeBor and Mason added that choreography and costume design have been a fun part of the process.

“Mackenzie Janda is our choreographer, and there weren’t a lot of really big dance numbers in this one,” Mason said. “So we made some of the songs big dance numbers.”

Rygiel-DeBor also spotlighted their costume designer, Katie Grosse.

“She (Grosse) is phenomenal,” Rygiel-DeBor said. “She thrifts, like, whenever we tell her what the show is, and from the moment we decide and we tell her what kind of things we’ll need. She’ll go to places. She’ll always text me, ‘I found a new cool thrift store.’” Some of the students have created their own page on the social media app, TikTok.

If interested in checking out the behind-the-scenes of their musicals, go to @rhs.musical0 on TikTok.

For some of the seniors in the cast, this is their last chance to perform on the high school stage. Although bittersweet, some of the seniors said it has been a great experience for them.

“I gained so much from this program,” Campbell Bracher, one of the seniors, said. “I think it really goes faster than you think. Everyone says it goes fast, and they don’t lie. It really does, it’s crazy. This is the fourth and the final one for me.”

Rygiel-DeBor said that this year they have around 50 students working on the show, including the stage crew, the pit orchestra and the regular cast.

The Ringgold 2026 “Disaster!” musical cast members are: AJ Lewis (Chad Rubik); Nathan Newman (Scott); Pete Miller (Professor Ted Scheider); Campbell Bracher (Marianne Wilson); Blake Booth (Tony Del Vecchio); Izzie Hooper (Jackie Noelle); Avery Laughlin (Ben/Lisa Noelle); Katie Kunkel (Sister Mary Downey); Maleeah Clark (Shirley Summers); Keegan Holcombe (Maury Summers); Mickey Aubenque (Levora Verona); Jillian Hamilton (Workman 1); Mckenzie Child (Workman 2); Reagan Sedar (Jaclyn, formerly Jake); Carolyn Beatty (Chef); Bella Palmer (Taxi Driver/Wealthy Woman); Alissa Rotta (Young Woman 1); Grace Clark (Young Woman 2); Olive DiBernardo (Traci); Andrew Nibbs (Wealthy Husband); Ariyanna Godfrey (Wealthy Wife); Sophia Segner (Victim 1); Isabella Mullen (Victim 2); Scarlett Powell (Victim 3); Makenley Costantino (Blinded Woman); Sofia Vdovichenko (Sexy Girl); Rya Minix (Passenger 1); Addison Spalla (Passenger 2); Isabella Knavey (Echo Voice).

Lilah Allen, Allison Bracher, Julia Franks, Alyssa Herter, Mackenzie McCartor, Aubrey Merrilli, Joie Perotta, Adelyn Scalise, Bella Schnupp, Sarah Simko, Kennedy Trubiani, Olivia Williams, Chloe Woods (Dancers).

Pit Orchestra: Nolan Brennfleck, Brianna Banaszak, Alex Lassige, Sarah Orrick Stage Crew: Hayden Bennett, Max Chaney, Morgan Gereshenski, Sean McCallister, Killian Noble, Sophia Santos.