Mondays with Mike: Forgiveness, Perseverance, and the Spring Musical
Good afternoon PCA families,
After this weekend’s spring musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I had the opportunity to sit down with director Melissa Weisberg and three members of the cast to reflect on the production, the work behind it, and the story at the center of it.
What stood out to me most was not only the color, music, movement, and joy of the show, but the way our students entered into a story about forgiveness, perseverance, and trusting God in difficult places.
In this week’s Mondays with Mike, Melissa shares why this show has meant so much to her, and students reflect on what it required of them musically, physically, relationally, and spiritually.
▶ You can listen to this week’s episode here.
(Tap the player below or open in your podcast app.)
Key Takeaways
- The musical was joyful, colorful, and deeply demanding.
With a large cast, nearly constant music, significant choreography, and multiple performances, students had to bring focus, stamina, teamwork, and discipline to the production. - Students grew through leadership and responsibility.
Lucy described the growth of serving as dance captain, helping lead choreography, and learning how to support a cast with many ages and experience levels. - The production reflected a real fine arts pathway.
Chloe’s journey from ensemble roles and pit work to serving as one of the narrators shows the progression we hope students experience: participation, contribution, leadership, and growth over time. - Joseph’s story was timely for our community.
Isaac reflected that the show points to themes “we need to focus on”: forgiveness, trusting God, and persevering through difficult situations. - The story points us back to God’s providence.
Melissa closed by reflecting on Joseph in prison, still waiting to see how God would fulfill His purposes, and encouraged our community to revisit Genesis and remember how God weaves things together for His purposes.
This episode reminded me again that the arts at PCA are not simply about performance.
They are about students learning to create, contribute, lead, persevere, and use their gifts in community.
I am grateful for Melissa Weisberg, Jennifer Conant, Katrina Veno, Ellen Sporko, Autumn Zent, the cast, crew, musicians, families, and everyone who helped bring this production to life.
Most of all, I am grateful that our students had the opportunity to enter into Joseph’s story at this moment in the life of our school: a story of hardship, forgiveness, waiting, and God’s faithful purposes.
As you talk with your children this week, consider asking what Joseph’s story helped them see about trusting God, forgiving others, and waiting faithfully in hard places.
We are grateful for you, and we will see you on campus soon.
Grace and peace,
Mike Runey
Head of School
Portsmouth Christian Academy
As a community, we just got through our second meeting and Washington’s army has escaped a trap in New York (barely).
If you missed the kickoff, you can watch it HERE.
If it requests a passcode, it is: E.q=Qn4@
Our first meeting was HERE.
Passcode: +Z@pqk87
Our second meeting was HERE.
Passcode: deT7vpH.
You can also access the family reading guide below (attached). This is a natural way to continue these conversations at home—about history, leadership, and the responsibilities that come with both.
Our next Zoom call is Thursday, May 28 at 5PM. The link is in the blog post HERE. Hope to see you then! We will be covering Section 3, Chapters 7-9—the miracle at Trenton on Christmas morning. It’s never too late to join!
To hear past episodes, share with your loved ones and friends, follow, and even review us, check out our PCA Podcast on these platforms:
