“Torch" Ignites Sell-Out Crowd

It looks like Chris Dayett has a hit musical on his hands. That much was clear the moment the last line was delivered, the last note sung. The sell-out crowd erupted with applause and leapt to their feet to show their appreciation and adoration for the opening night premiere of Torch, a Musical Tale, written and scored by Dayett, Marco Island Academy’s (MIA) performing arts instructor.

“Opening night was magical,” Dayett gushed. “I’m so proud of the performers, the crew, and my team. The ovation was well deserved."

He has reason to be proud. The Friday, April 4, performance was arguably the best in the three-year history of the Rhine Stage. The theater, part of the MIA gymnasium, was designed with a large stage, an independent sound system, and under-stage seat storage. The addition of curtains behind the back row of seats adds intimacy to the theater setting. And Dayett’s opus made the Rhine shine, with catchy music featuring vocals performed by an eclectic cast of MIA students and staff as well as students from Marco Island Charter Middle School and Tommie Barfield Elementary, and one actor attends Lorenzo Walker Technical High School.

Torch has it all: heroes, heroines, villains, singing, dancing, dramatic stage lighting, immersive sound, perfectly executed sound effects, period-correct detailed costume design, and tastefully executed theatrical haze effects. 

"I wrote the music, lyrics, and the book, or script,” Dayett said. "Naples-based composer/pianist/arranger, Jeremy Goodman, arranged and fully orchestrated all of the music. He took what I wrote and breathed so much life into the show." 

Torch is so good that you’ll have to remind yourself that it is an original work, not simply the performance of a hit Broadway play. The cast does a great job of creating memorable characters that are completely original, not just a reprise of someone else’s role.

"They can now say they originated a role,” Dayett said. 

The stage crew, managed by Isabella Diaz, a junior at MIA, didn’t miss a beat with what appeared to be flawless set changes. And the sets themselves were arguably the best seen on the Rhine Stage. All set design is done in-house. 

"I needed to Frankenstein a few pieces together and add a raised platform,” Dayett said, “but everything else was repurposing what we had already created. When I was writing the show, I had done a sketch of what I would want the set to look like someday. The idea for the pillars on either side was from that original sketch. Knowing that I was going to be directing my own show, it was great to have some help behind the scenes. Juliana Pisculli did an incredible job of bringing my vision to life via all of the set painting."

Dayett employed AI in designing Torch’s costumes. New equipment also helped to push Torch over the top.

"For costumes, I had created Disney/Pixar versions of the characters through AI with very specific prompts,” Dayett said. “They also gave us some great costume ideas. Now that we have the haze machine, it’s so much fun to paint the upper half of the stage with lights. I went to Iceland over spring break and got to see the Northern Lights for the first time. I tried to capture some of that in the stage lighting. We added long curtains in the back to help counteract the echo in the gym. I think for the first time in our four years of performing in the gym, you can hear everything pretty clear."

The Northern Lights play a key role in Torch.

"Ever since the Northern Lights were stolen by Morgano, an evil sorcerer (played by MIA dean of students Kevin Ray) eighteen years ago, the Kingdom of Aurora has been thrown into darkness,” Dayett said. “An eighteen-year-old boy, Torch, finds his fate intertwined with the kingdom’s when he encounters the mysterious Rogue Raven, who will change the course of his life forever. With the fate of the kingdom and the entire world hanging in the balance, Torch and his newfound friends set out together on a quest to restore hope before time runs out. At the heart of the story is a boy who questions if he is where he is meant to be; that perhaps he is destined for something greater. I think that's something that many, if not all, can relate to."

It’s always a good sign when everyone returns to their seats at intermission, and such was the case with Torch. After a short intermission, everyone was back in their seats, ready for more. There was plenty of action left after intermission. Dayett saw his dream come to life in recent weeks.

"I started writing the show in August 2020,” he said, "and had my first draft completed on July 4, 2024. It went through some big rewrites in the fall and continued to be tweaked up until last week. Some cast members even had input. I knew we had something special as the show came together this week. The cast and crew worked very hard. Doing a brand new show is not easy. I was so proud of them. As a writer, it’s very hard to sometimes put your work out there because it’s so personal. But when the audience laughs, cries, and applauds, you know you did something right."

Of course, the thundering ovation by the crowd at the end had the cast on cloud nine.

"They were all so excited,” Dayett said. "I saw them dancing in the wings during bows. We couldn’t get them to leave the gym when it was over." 

Dayett believes Torch will have a future after its run at MIA.

“Because the show was in my head for so long, I knew it was easy enough for high schools to create on lower budgets,” he said. “I really think Torch is going to have a life after we close. I expect within the next two to three years there will be a few productions of the show across the country. I personally think it would make a great Disney animated movie.”

Remaining showtimes for Torch: a Musical Tale: Friday, April 11, at 7:00 PM and Saturday, April 12, at 2:00 PM. Tickets are available online at onthestage.tickets