GOLD HILL — Zoinks! There is trouble in Gold Hill! Scooby Scooby-Doo, where are you? We need some help from you now!

The Mystery Machine is rolling into Gold Hill and onto the Gold Hill School stage.

The Mystery Machine arrives in Gold Hill.

Photos by Sara Sandstrom

Gold Hill School is passionate about school performances. Their plays, musicals, and concerts have been bringing the Gold Hill community together for over a century.

This year's Spring production is Scooby Doo and the Magical Mystery Machine Tour. It was originally written in 2017 by Natalie Littlefield, Christine Maedke, and Johanna Morrison. At that time Littlefield, Maedke, and Morrison were all full time staff at Gold Hill School.

This will be the second time the production has been staged. Maedke, the one full time teacher at the school, is directing, with support from former Gold Hill School teacher Morrison, current Paraeducator Lilia Orvis, Office Manager Devon Romero, and PTO President and Gold Hill School parent Dan Maedke. There are also a number of parent volunteers who made this production possible.

The play is in the style of the original 1969 Scooby-Doo television series. There is a problem in Gold Hill. An old scary Miner 59er is scaring so many guests away that the Gold Hill Inn and the Gold Hill Store may have to sell. What will the long-time owners do? And who is Miner 59er?

Owner of the Gold Hill Store, Hugh, refuses to sell his store to a cooperate entity.

Photos by Sara Sandstrom

The music features songs from the Beatles. The students sing a variety of Beatles tunes that fit into the script from "A Hard Day's Night," "Yesterday," "Help," "Get Back," "Hey, Jude," "Can't Buy Me Love," "Octopus's Garden," "All You Need Is Love," and "With a Little Help From My Friends."

Scooby-Doo and Mystery, Inc. definitely have a mystery on their hands.

Jeepers! Miner 59er can be scary. He scared Shaggy and Scooby-Doo so much they threw their sandwiches up in the air with fright.

While making two huge sandwiches Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are scared by the Miner 59er.

Photos by Sara Sandstrom

With a lot of hard work and eating by Scooby the clues come together, and the mystery is solved. Gold Hill is saved!

Scooby's super-sniffer helped solve the case, and Miner 59er was not who you would expect. "And I'd have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those meddling kids!"

In the spirit of the Gold Hill community they end the show singing "With a Little Help From My Friends."

As with every Gold Hill School musical it ends with an appearance of a rock 'n roll legend. You will have to come see it to see who it is.

If you see the article soon enough, and if you are not already planning on going, you can zip on over to Gold Hill, as the performances are on March 13, 2026, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

These performances are legendary at Gold Hill School. Alumni remember being in their school plays. Decade after decade the teachers have taken the productions very seriously. Students say, "It's a lot of fun." There is also a tremendous amount of learning taking place.

All the students in the school participate. Teacher Chrissy Maedke said, "The confidence students gain from this experience is remarkable. When children begin performing for packed audiences as kindergarteners and continue through the program, speaking and performing in front of others becomes something exciting rather than intimidating.

"Theatre also builds reading fluency vocabulary, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. But the confidence piece is what alumni parents talk about most often when reflecting on their time at the school."

Gold Hill School encourages their students to be comfortable on the stage and to become great public speakers. These theater experiences help them develop those skills.

Toes will tap with the great tunes, there is nostalgia being reminded of Scooby-Doo cartoons, there is Gold Hill knowledge to learn, 13 students giving it their all, and there is humor—all wrapped up in one production.

Congratulations to the Gold Hill School.

Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

Scooby-Doo, performed by Teddy, Gold Hill School's Kindergartener, is perplexed at the mystery in Gold Hill.

Photos by Sara Sandstrom