playbill vip

James and the Giant Peach became my favorite children’s book when my third grade teacher, Mrs. Stoll, read the book aloud to us in class that year. My classmates and I were horrified by the hideous Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, but we gleefully cheered on James Henry Trotter and his amazing insect friends through all of their worldly adventures. James and the Giant Peach is a story about friendship and resilience. It resonated deeply with all of the students in my class.

Many (many!) years later, as I began in my new position here as Interim Principal, I passed by a bulletin board decorated with a big, bright, beautiful peach. I was happily surprised to learn that students and staff here at Millburn Middle School were hard at work preparing for this year’s Spring Musical, James and the Giant Peach. I’ve since had the opportunity to observe our delightful student actors collaborating with one another during rehearsals. I’ve watched as students and teachers created sets and blocked scenes for the show. I had the chance to listen to students singing, practicing their parts, rehearsing their lines. I’ve been fortunate to be able to observe staff members, directors, artists, and vocal coaches as they coordinated scenes, efficiently working together, under pressure and with time constraints, to ensure our show’s (and our students’) success. 

Enormous, heartfelt gratitude goes out to the following individuals for their dedication to our kids and to our school. They are talented, passionate, and committed beyond measure: 

Niall Ng, Marina Reilly, Samantha Abrams, Louis Danowsky, Jacqueline Ng, Claudia Sohr, Jess Pace (Alexa Teebo Studio), Elissa Dalerta, Susan Salvante, Chuck Mezaros, Brian Toscano and Paul Gaschler (11th Hour Design).

And…to the incredible cast and crew of our 2025 Spring Musical, BRAVO! You did it! We are all very proud of you.

Dr. Jill L. Sack

Interim Principal