Behind the glamorous faces, the resounding music, the dazzling lights are the hidden members of the school musical. These students work hard and stay hidden to make the ever-loved Manhattan High School musical possible. They are the musical technicians.

“Technicians basically run everything needed for the show to happen,” junior Emma Galitzer, stage manager, said. “So if there was even one area of technical work that didn’t get done for the musical, then we wouldn’t have a show.”

Technician is a broad term to describe all people who participate in the musical behind the scenes to make it work. There are crews that have a specific area of expertise and stage managers who make sure all the actors and technicians do what the director wants.

The crews are various and all kinds of people are needed for them. There are light, sound, construction, makeup, costume and running crews.

“Without the techies, you wouldn’t have the show,” senior Lance Jarvis said.

Like actors, technicians (commonly called “techies”) are committed to the musical.

“We come in every rehearsal,” Jarvis said.

Technicians are also affected by the same stresses at actors and directors. This week is the notorious “Hell Week,” which is a week of rehearsal before the first show. Technicians, however, have to deal with their own stress as well as the stress of all the actors.

“The biggest challenge right now with me is having to deal with belligerent actors,” junior Toula Sweeney said. “When it gets closer to the show time, everyone — actors, directors, techies — gets a little bit crazy because of course the stress will get to you. There’s just a lot of stress involved with the job but it’s worth it.”

To many of the technicians, however, the stress is worth it.

“The most rewarding aspect is when we actually have the show and see all our hard work and what it eventually comes to,” Galitzer said.

All their efforts show in the final production.

“The best part is watching the beautiful creation of musical theater come together,” Sweeney said.