Moments before the curtains opened at the Arcade Theater in Ferriday Thursday evening, cast members of “The Ever After — A Musical” exchanged words of encouragement hoping to ease each other’s nerves about performing in front of their friends and family.

Cast members, who are all students at the Concordia Parish Academy of Math, Science and Technology, spent nearly two months preparing for the musical.

From auditions to countless rehearsals at the school, the cast members were ready to take their talents to the stage Thursday night for the big show.

“My heart started pounding a little bit because there were so many people in the audience,” said Cloi Cummings, who played the lead role of Cinderella. “I was most nervous about hitting the high notes in one of my songs, but I think it went great.”

The musical is a parody of a daytime television show featuring a variety of characters from multiple fairy tales, such as Snow White, the Evil Queen and Jiminy Cricket, among others.

The show’s host, Monterey Jack Chesterfield Williamson, who was played by Micah Lawrence, wonders if time truly heals all wounds and invites the characters to reconcile with each other.

The musical was the first major production for the school, but fourth- and fifth-grade teacher Amber Nugent, who directed the play along with teacher Jennifer Jeffers, hopes it won’t be the last.

“I think it was awesome how hard the kids worked, and you could really tell they put two months into preparing,” Nugent said. “I enjoyed seeing them all become closer friends throughout this whole thing.

“They just became a family.”

Spending several hours together each week rehearsing for two months, Lawrence said, definitely brought the classmates closer together.

“Before the play, we were all backstage giving out ‘break-a-leg hugs,’” Lawrence said. “When you spend so much time together practicing, everybody becomes closer.”