Red & Gold would not be as successful without great leadership from our Producers, and the Producers couldn’t do it without their counterparts: the Co-Producers! Each year, two juniors are selected to be Co-Producers and work alongside the Producers. This year’s Co-Producers are juniors Michaela Watson and Sami DiCrisi. Keep reading to learn a little bit more about their experiences as Co-Producers.
Growing up, Michaela went to many Red & Gold performances. Her mom, ninas, cousins, family friends and sisters all went to Rosary! She had never really considered what position she would want to be before coming to Rosary, but she definitely got to see the show from so many different perspectives through her relatives holding various captain and White Team positions.
Sami had also experienced Red & Gold through her sister, and she was excited to get involved in the production herself. Sami explained that she decided she wanted to be a captain before she even started freshman year: “I loved the idea of creating something so special, and I especially like watching the dances and drills!”
Michaela had such a great experience during her freshman and sophomore years that she knew she wanted to be Co-Producer this year. She shared, “The day they were announcing captains, I was so nervous. I think I jumped whenever the phone rang.” When they told Michaela and Sami that they were this year’s Co-Producers, “it was the best feeling ever,” Michaela said. For Sami, she wanted to be Co-Producer the moment she knew the job existed. When she heard she was Co-Producer, Sami was overjoyed and couldn’t believe it was actually happening. Sami truly could not contain her excitement. She expressed, “My happiness at that moment absolutely cannot be overstated, and I have been loving every minute of it!”
After that, the real work had begun. After being announced Co-Producers, their Christmas breaks suddenly became very full. They attended meetings to discuss dances, drills, chorals and the script. The captains worked on their categories, making posters and perfecting their Kick Off skit. Although it took a lot of hard work over break, Michaela expressed, “It was so fun and worth it once we had an amazing Kick Off!” For Sami, work also started right out of the gate too. Being Co-Producer has opened her eyes to how much intricacy creating a show takes. This role didn’t seem like true work because it was all so fun for Sami.
These Co-Producers are not a one-woman team. They worked right alongside the Producers: Ava Barretto ’25 and Jazzy Sandoval ‘25. When asked about her experiences with Ava, Michaela shared, “Ava has been an amazing Producer! We luckily were already friends from playing soccer together (and being cousins, if ykyk). We work great together, and she’s a great leader.” Michaela also said that she couldn’t have asked for anyone better to compete against when mentioning Jazzy and Sami.
From Sami’s point of view, Jazzy has been an amazing role model. Jazzy has taught Sami important aspects of being a Red & Gold leader like patience, energy and hard work. Sami shared, “She [Jazzy] embodies everything a Producer should be, and I seriously appreciate her so much!”
While Michaela has enjoyed many parts of being Co-Producer, she especially enjoys seeing Gold’s show come to life. She loves watching all the components grow from ideas into an entire show. Michaela also hints to being excited to announce Gold’s finale song. On the other hand, Michaela doesn’t seem to dislike anything about being Co-Producer, but she doesn’t always enjoy having to calculate and keep track of the budget and receipts.
Sami as most enjoyed seeing every person shine in their roles as captains, categories, individuals and a whole team. She expressed, “I am literally so proud of every single girl on Red because I see how hard everyone is working and how much they love what they do.”
In terms of the possibility of being Producer next year, Michaela absolutely loves the idea. She shared, “I would feel so blessed if I have the privilege of being Producer next year and being able to lead a team again!” Sami shares in Michaela’s excitement and would also love to be Producer next year. Sami exclaimed, “I would literally love to be a Producer. I would be beyond happy and grateful for that opportunity.”
It sounds like our Co-Producers are feeling energetic, excited and hopeful for this Red & Gold. Our Producers and Co-Producers have done so much this year for each team. Make sure to thank them when you see them at Flex. Go Red! Go Gold!
Isabella Solis • Feb 28, 2025 at 12:00 pm
yay michaela!!