By Bob Buttitta For The Signal From Dorothy’s ruby slippers in the “Wizard of Oz” to Luke Skywalker’s iconic lightsaber, great props can play a huge role in helping to tell the story of a theatrical production. Judges and fans alike have praised the West Ranch High School marching band’s 2025 production of its show “Red,” which loosely tells the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and the props developed and used for the show to enhance the production’s mystique have been equally celebrated. Unlike a Hollywood studio that has a department of highly paid skilled artists to create props for its production, the West Ranch music program relies on several “band parents” to help create and maintain the show’s props. For the past two years, that responsibility has primarily fallen into the hands of band dads Jim Forrest and Jonathan Gallaway, whose sons Sam and Finnegan both play sousaphone. Since the start of summer when the original concepts for the show were discussed, Forrest and Gallaway have volunteered their time and energy to create and maintain the props for “Red.” “I appreciate the opportunity to bring the show to life alongside Jonathan,” Forrest said. “Seeing how excited the kids are to perform with these props and knowing it adds to their experience is what makes it all worthwhile.” All successful marching bands require a great amount of support, and that support often comes from band parents who are asked to become an army of volunteers. Parents help with uniforms, serve food to the band during camp and at shows, and help the percussion section push instruments onto the field to use in competition. “I think people would be shocked to discover how much there is to manage in a program such as ours,” said West Ranch Director of Instrumental Music Rod Schueller. “There is no possible way we could function without the support of our parents and Boosters. The planning and logistics require an enormous amount of time and energy, and the help of many. We are fortunate to have parents with varying, highly developed skill sets and a willingness to step up.” The journey of creating this year’s props started in June when Jay Kamp, West Ranch’s visual caption head, shared his vision of the show with Forrest. Forrest, who graduated from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design where he focused on illustrations, went to work on his sketch pad, creating and in some cases enhancing Kamp’s vision for Grandma’s House and the Wolf, the two centerpiece props in the show. For example, in the initial design, the wolf was supposed to appear as a silhouette in the window above the door of the house. But Forrest surmised the image would likely be too small to be seen by spectators and trying to illuminate it would require an extremely bright light that seemed difficult to create and use. So instead, Forrest created two large wooden bushes that sit on each side of the entrance to Grandma’s House. At the end of the show, members of the colorguard rotate each bush and push them together, creating the wolf’s face, with the final touch being the eyes turning red and glowing for the show’s dramatic final moment. The colors on the face of the wolf are the same colors of the house and the many tree logs that are used to create the forest where Grandma lives. Matt Langenwalter, who is co-president of the Boosters, has worked in Hollywood production of movies and television most of his life. He was able to get the trees, which were used in the “Final Destination” movies, and then repurposed them for this year’s show. Forrest and Gallaway spent all of the summer working on bringing Forrest’s sketches to life. Small tree stumps, which are mini versions of the trees that soloists stand on to perform, were created in time for band camp in July, so the band had an idea of what kind of props they would be dealing with in the show. Grandma’s house and the wolf were finished in October, giving the band time to get used to not just performing with the props but getting them on and off the field in the time allotted during competitions. Forrest is the idea guy who dreams up the concepts but he relies on Gallaway’s wood-working talents and knowledge of structure and how things can be effectively put together to help keep him on track when his creative visions start to spin out of control. “I tend to over-engineer things so I go to Jon and ask him to take a look and figure out ways to make everything work, whether it’s making something lighter or easier to move around or pack in the truck,” Forrest said. The two men have a symbiotic working relationship, using both of their strengths to achieve the desired outcome. “Jim’s job is to make it look good but he comes to me for help when things are falling apart or he needs a better way to create something,” Gallaway said. Based on West Ranch’s scores through their first four competitions, in which they have continued to score high in all aspects of judging, including visuals, the props are doing their job. Heading into next week’s Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Southern California Championships, the Wildcat band is ranked first in the state in the 5A Division. According to Scheuller, strong props help elevate a show and enhance the ability of the band to tell the story more effectively. “The props for this year’s show have received so many compliments, I think because they are so well done, realistic, and an integral part of telling the story of the show,” Schueller said. “The house is amazing, and there have been a few band moms who have asked if they can have it to showcase in their living rooms after the season is over, which is really funny. And the wolf reads so well from the stands and is the exclamation point of the show. Every aspect has been done to a truly professional level.”.
https://signalscv.com/2025/11/west-ranch-band-dads-bring-hollywood-flair-to-field-show/