       |
December 2006 - Go Greased Lightnin'
January 2006 - Harvey
May 2005 - Seussical
November 2004 - Visit from 'Brooklyn'
June 2004 - Still Life
May 2004 - Alumni in 'The Wiz'
February 2004 - DHS Grad off to success
May 2003 - 'Honk'
December 2002 - DHS Grad heading for show biz
May 2002 - Footloose
February 2001 - Living Statues
October 2001- Footloose
February 2000- West Side Story
May 2000 - West Side Story
March 1999 - Peter Pan
May 1998 - South Pacific
2006-12-11
Go Greased Lightnin'
Restaurant owner donates 1954 Ford for Danbury High musical
By Eileen FitzGerald
THE NEWS-TIMES
DANBURY -- A 1954 Ford Customline four-door sedan was pulled from backyard retirement and towed to the Danbury High School auto shop for its next life as the star prop in the school's spring production of the popular musical "Grease."
Sesame Seed restaurant owner Dimitri Chaber donated the car last week, setting the bar high in an effort to have the school's annual musical remain a community affair.
The plan is to have the school's auto works department get the car running, have it painted, and then be showcased in the May production.
The car then will be raffled to raise money for the school's theater program.
"I love the fact that we have an old car we will be working on,'' said 15-year-old junior Matt Duncan, who will work on it under the guidance of auto shop teachers Larry Oates and Sam Buck. 
"It has an overhead V-8 engine. It would have been a pretty good car," since the early '50s was when the overhead V-8 was introduced, he said.
"It needs a lot of work but it's complete. That's a plus and the motor's intact,'' Duncan said. "It could be worse. It's really solid. I've never done a full restoration. This is great. I love old cars."
The school produced "Grease" 10 years ago. Two students active in the first production now work for the school district. Nick Albano, who starred as Kenickie, is the school's band director. Justin Morgan, who worked in play's tech department, now teaches technical education at Broadview Middle School in Danbury and serves as technical director for the high school productions.
Drama and speech arts teacher Cindy NeJame, the producer of Danbury High Productions, said 10 years ago she found a car on South Street for the play that was painted but didn't run.
"But this time, I want to go beyond that and get it running so it can be raffled at the end of the play,'' NeJame said.
She convinced Chaber to donate the car.
"He was so lovely," NeJame said. "I really think it's a nice spirit, and I anticipate the project will move forward this way and that's exciting.''
Chaber said he bought the car about 15 years ago from a Redding man, fixed the brakes, and had it running before retiring it and moving it from place to place on his property since then.
"I want to make sure the car raffle money will go where it is intended to go -- the theater program,'' Chaber said.
"Grease," based on life at the fictional Rydell High in the 1950s, was first seen on stage in Chicago in 1971, before moving off-Broadway and then to Broadway in 1972. The film "Grease," starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, was released in 1978 and a stage revival in 1994 played 1,503 performances.
NBC has announced that a new reality show, "You're the One That We Want," will search for the two leads for a revival of "Grease" that will open in June 2007 on Broadway.
"Grease" is "one of my favorite movies. I gave up my position as the color guard captain to work on the play,'' said Danbury High senior Courtney Landheer, 17, who hopes to land a part.
"When everybody was a kid, that's the movie our parents showed us. They didn't show us 'The Music Man.' Everyone's parents can relate to it," said senior Ben Panzarino, 18, who's been in school and community plays for years.
He wasn't quite sure what was the most exciting part about the play for his peers.
"I don't know if it's about the '50s or that the music is so contagious and that everyone knows and loves it,'' Panzarino said.
Senior Jaimie LaPine, 17, will be a student producer for the musical. "The car will be perfect. It's very exciting,'' she said.
NeJame thought the 10-year anniversary of the first production of "Grease," combined with the renewed popularity of the play, made it a good time to recreate it.
"I had a teacher come and talk about the '50s in my theater class, and the kids were fascinated by the '50s. They were enthralled and entranced by the era. It was just a time when things were just so simple or seemed to be," NeJame said. 
"I don't want to do a repeat of a show, but what was unprecedented is the car. It will be fun to make this an inter-disciplinary project," NeJame said. "What we do at DHS Productions is not just about the finished product.
"The reason we create such energy on stage is because of the positive energy contributed to the process. The more people who buy in, the greater the experience it is for everybody."
Contact Eileen FitzGerald
at eileenf@newstimes.com
or at (203) 731-3333.
2006-01-26
Dramatic madness
Danbury High School puts on production of Harvey
By Eileen FitzGerald
THE NEWS-TIMES
Photography by Carol Kaliff
Adrian Price-Whelan builds a window backstage for the set of Harvey, a Danbury High School production.
Jimmy Stewart starred as Elwood P. Dowd in the Pulitzer Prize winning play Harvey on Broadway in 1970 with Helen Hayes as his leading lady.
He also starred in the movie about the mild mannered man who had an invisible friend that looked like a six-foot rabbit.
Danbury High School senior Michael Steinmetz will follow in Stewart's footsteps in a presentation of the Mary Chase play at the Danbury High School auditorium at 8 p.m. Friday.(
Danbury High Productions has soared with its musicals for years, but this is the first straight play in at least a decade. It's basically a student run project of the school's theater production class from set design to directing and with oversight by theater teacher Cindy NeJame.
The form and the character in Harvey challenge the 17-year-old Steinmetz.
When you are in a musical you rely on the music and dancing. It gives the audience something to look at, Steinmetz said. With this, every movement on stage has to have a purpose. Every move has to be crucial to the development of your character.
Elwood's a challenge, too.
In the Danbury High School productions, the characters I have played were more angry and mean, Steinmetz said. Elwood is similar to myself so it's harder. I enjoy the character so much that I try to play myself. I have a lot of fun with him.
Senior Adrian Price-Whelan, 17, designed the sets, the sound and lighting. He has done design for the musicals for three years.
With a straight play you don't have to worry so much about the sound. People are just talking, so it is less stress for the mike people, Price-Whelan said. With less dancing though, people pay more attention to the sets, so you have to have more details.
He first looks online at previous productions to see how they were done.
Then I look at what we have in the boiler room, and then I use my imagination, he said.
For this production, he had little money to spend, so he decided to find one color that he could paint the set. He uses a warm light when the characters are in the home and a blue light to make the dark cold setting of the hospital.
With a few props, it's transformed, he said. The job is solving puzzles. What can we do with what we have?
Seniors Kira Wallace and Elkin Taveras are the student directors.
"This is the first time on the other side. It's been incredible to see. The same thing I love from another perspective," said Wallace, 17, who performed in one school musical and in community theater at Musicals at Richter in Danbury.
Taking charge has been difficult, but she said she's learned how to maintain discipline as a director from Taveras.
Among the play's six men and six women is Emily Demasi, a 17-year-old senior, who plays Elwood's sister in her first play and first speaking part.
"I get to play Veta, Elwood's sister, who is a very silly character who worries about everything, like how she looks socially. It's very fun," Demasi said. "I get to be over the top when I play her."
Steinmetz said one of the play's messages is about not worrying about things that don't matter in the long run. The play shows people who want to control all the elements of life, while Elwood was happy to be a free spirit.
"The play is how to live your life to the fullest. He has a great time meeting new people," Steinmetz said about Elwood. "He's very lovable."
The high school culinary arts program will serve dinner before the performance.
The $20 ticket for both dinner and the play must be purchased from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Danbury High School auditorium, or call 203-790-2824.
Tickets for the play only will cost $8 each and will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. Tickets also will be available at the door.
2005-05-14
'Seussical'
Students and staff members romp in roles in Danbury High School stage production
By Eileen FitzGerald
THE NEWS-TIMES
The News-Times/Carol Kaliff
Zachary Jackson, center, is surrounded by, from left, Michael Steinmetz, Blake Irving and Elkin Taveras in a scene from "Seussical," a theatrical production that will be staged at Danbury High School next week.
Danbury High School Principal Catherine Richard wore glittery red Farmer John pants and donned a bulbous red rubber nose from a box in the school auditorium.
"I've got to do something about my hair,'' she said with seriousness that contradicted her comical appearance.
"I have a psychedelic clown wig you could borrow,'' English teacher Traci Cook offered.
The two were amon
g 20 school staff preparing for their roles as clowns in the musical "Seussical," a play based on the characters created by children's author Dr. Seuss. It will be performed May 19, 20 and 21 at the high school.
"It's a very humbling experience,'' said Richard, who's worked at the school for nearly 30 years without taking part in the high school annual production before.
"One kid walked into a wall as he saw me in costume in the hallway. I waved and said 'it's me,'¸'' she said.
"It's fun to show them you have that lighter side,'' Cook added.
The kids like performing with the staff.
"It's pretty funny,'' said 16-year-old 10th-grader Marisa Sorrentino. "It creates a different atmosphere around them. Usually, they are teaching us; now they are having fun with us."
Sorrentino wears a yellow dress as one of the Whos from Whoville.
"The play's great. It's so energetic. It makes you want to have fun even though there are a lot of bad things that happen in the play."
Ninth-grader Briana Butera, 15, is one of about 25 jungle citizens in the play. "I've been to a couple of plays in the past and my sister was on the stage crew. I thought maybe I could be the first one in my family who would be in the play,'' she said.
She loved seeing the teachers on stage.
"It's hilarious. My science teacher (Marc Balanda) is up there,'' she said.
The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss' most famous books told through the eyes of JoJo, a young boy, including the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant and the Whos of Whoville.
The mischievous Cat in the Hat leads the audience through a musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, which brings to life many of Dr. Seuss' characters. It ran on Broadway from 2000 to 2001.
The score includes musical styles ranging from Latin to pop and swing to gospel.
eleventh-grader Adam Pin, 17, played the drum set in the play last year, but this year he is in charge of all the accessory percussion sounds. He plays a triangle, cowbells, chimes, shaker, and wood block set.
"It corresponds to what actors are doing on stage,'' he said. "If something blows up, that's probably me."Producer and director Cindy NeJame called her casting serendipitous as each year students reveal talents needed for the production and different school staff agree to take part.
This year's cast includes high school junior Elkin Taveras playing the Cat in the Hat, senior DJ Deboben playing Horton the Elephant and Kara Michael playing Mayzie LaBird. NeJame went outside the school to recruit Zachary Jackson from King Street Intermediate School to play the role of JoJo.NeJame said after she saw the play on Broadway, she resolved that when the rights were available she would do it.
"It's the music and the message," NeJame said during rehearsal Wednesday. The play is against war, encourages open-mindedness and reminds the viewer that people are kind, she said. It also promotes the idea that anything is possible and that "a person is a person no matter how small," a line from "Horton Hears a Who."
"They are really beautiful messages,'' NeJame said.
"It's a lot of fun,'' said junior Monica Gallagher, 16. "The whole thing is music with not much dialogue. That's kind of cool."
"Seussical" will be presented Thursday at 7 p.m. and Friday and May 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Danbury High School auditorium.
Tickets are on sale in the school's main office from 2 to 3 p.m. school days and at the door the night of the performances. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students.
2004-11-18
Cookin' in 'Brooklyn'
Students find hope in musical about lives of homeless
By Eileen FitzGeraldsystem
THE NEWS-TIMES
Autumn Pinette
Composer Mark Schoenfeld speaks to students at Danbury High School about his musical "Brooklyn."
This wasn't Broadway.
There were no spotlights, just fluorescent lights in the Danbury High School media room.
But there was the co-author of "Brooklyn: The Musical," dressed in jeans, belting out an a-cappella version of "I Never Knew His Name." As Barri McPherson sang the song from her show, the 50 theater arts students in the audience listened with rapt attention.
The performance was not just entertaining. It was, the students said, inspiring.
McPherson, a 44-year
-old onetime nightclub singer, wrote "Brooklyn" with Mark Schoenfeld, a former homeless street musician. Together, the two theatrical unknowns managed to get their show produced on Broadway, at the Plymouth Theatre, where it opened last month.
As if that's not inspiration enough, the show is about five homeless people who live beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. They call themselves the City Weeds and they put on their own play-within-a-play about a girl named Brooklyn who moved to New York from Paris to find fame and the father she never knew.
Autumn Pinette
Barri McPherson performs "I Never Knew His Name," a song from the musical "Brooklyn."
Everything in "Brooklyn" comes from the street, from props such as used mattresses to costumes, which includes a dress made of "I love New York" emblazoned plastic bags.
The message from McPherson and Schoenfeld, don't ever give up. "No matter what you are doing, you have critics that don't like what you do. You have to get past them and not let them validate what you feel,'' McPherson said.
Danbury High theater arts teacher Cindy NeJame organized the two-hour discussion. Her goal was to help the theater arts students understand how passion and persistence can make a dream come true, despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
Autumn Pinette
Senior Kevin Jones, 17, and other Danbury High students, listen to a presentation by the co-authors of the muscial "Brooklyn" Tuesday at Danbury High.
"Having them come was inspirational for all of the kids in theater arts here to go on and do it. It's completely different seeing it live," said Danbury High senior Adam Maffei.
Maffei talked with McPherson and Schoenfeld about the musical he and his brother are writing together and heard the message that heart and passion are the keys to success. "It gave me goosebumps about where we can go with what we have," Maffei said.
Some students gained a new perspective for the opportunities in their lives.
"We're here, we're in school, we have clothes. We're all set to go," said senior Greg Ruopp, 17. "We're going to college. We're lucky we have these opportunities We have a leg up and we should hold on to it."
School secretary Angela Hylenski said students reminded her of her son, Peter, who went from Danbury High to be an award winning lighting designer. He designed the lighting for "Brooklyn."
"I look at these kids sitting here listening saying, 'I'm going to do that' and they can," Hylenski said. "It is so great for them to see the heart of the theater. They're dreaming of doing it and so did Peter. The arts program in this school gave him the opportunity to fall in love with theater."
More than 20 years ago, singer McPherson and songwriter Schoenfeld worked together on a record, but afterwards lost track of each other. Years later, McPherson, who lived in Massachusetts, was visiting New York when she saw Schoenfeld performing on a Brooklyn street corner.
Schoenfeld, now 55, had little more than a boom-box of songs he wrote. McPherson invited Schoenfeld to come back to Massachusetts to live with her family. There, they began to write some songs together about Schoenfeld's life on New York's streets. The songs eventually turned into a musical that captured the attention of director Jeff Calhoun and a group of producers.
The pop- and soul-influenced songs amplify a story line that, as one reviewer put it, stresses kindness towards others, respect for the downtrodden and belief that life can always be better.
Schoenfeld told the students no one aspires to be a homeless person.
"They all have dreams and aspirations. They have interesting lives. The real reason people are homeless is because no one loves them enough to give them shelter, as this angel did for me," Schoenfeld said, referring to McPherson.
Schoenfeld's words struck a chord with Danbury High junior Andy Gutierrez. "I liked what he said about the homeless people, about how no one asks them what their lives are like," he said. "This story is inspirational."
McPherson said she and Schoenfeld had a say all along the way in the development of the musical, from the script and song choice to the costumes and casting. Like many Broadway shows, it opened out of town.
In Denver, said McPherson, 35 people came to the opening night. Within six weeks, she said, there were lines around the block.
The two are now working on another musical.
"I never thought that people who didn't have experience would make it so big," said Kristina Villanana, a Bethel High School senior who was among 15 students from her school to attend the presentation. "A lot of people are involved with the arts now and this would inspire them."
2004-06-19
Still life
Danbury High students entertain Times Square crowd
By Eileen FitzGerald THE NEWS-TIMES
Colleen Gallagher played Mary Poppins during her Danbury High School theater production living statues performance in Times Square. The class raised $600 for AIDS research.
She was among 12 theater production students from the high school who traveled to Times Square, put on costumes and were spray-painted copper bronze to become living statues.
The students portrayed such characters as Peter Pan, Roxie from "Chicago", Lucille Ball, Belle from "Beauty and the Beast", Pocahontas, Willy Wonka, Marilyn Monroe, and the Wicked Witch from "Wizard of Oz".
--photo1L--
For their production, the students took half-hour shifts. They would stand in a pose and when someone dropped money, they'd change the pose. They raised $600 for Broadway Cares, Equity fights AIDS.
"You get started in the first pose and you become the character. You are the character. You are hearing everyone around you. It was cool to hear people say how wonderful you were," the 18-year-old Gallagher said. "We were all coming together to raise money for something we believe in. We put all our effort into it. It was a very nice reward having the audience love it."
Danbury high teacher Cindy NeJame first saw living statutes in LaRambla, in Barcelona, Spain. People dressed and were made up to look like statues, and then stood on the street. --photo2R--
She had her theater production class try the exercise in a couple of venues in the Danbury area. This was the second time she took them to Times Square.
"They have to create a character. Because you don't move you need to be more in character," NeJame said. "They need an ability to focus, flexibility and an attention to detail and confidence."
The students practiced for a month for the presentation
.
"The audience response was beyond belief. They drew crowds. We had to be concerned about being shut down," NeJame said.
The students also had tickets to the Tony Award rehearsal and ceremony.--photo3L--
"This was a nice culminating experience for everyone in the class," NeJame said.
Senior Marie Baretsky, 17, chose to play Willy Wonka.
"The first time I didn't react but then the second time I went up I interacted. Sometimes, I would take off my hat and bow. I had a plastic flute and if a little child was there I would reach for the flute and play it," Baretsky said. --photo4R--
"It was a little weird at first," she said. "It's not something you would think about doing every day. You get you there and once you start interacting, you bring people into your world, You become the character."
2004-05-19
Alumni move on back for 'The Wiz'
By Eileen FitzGerald
THE NEWS-TIMES
Chris Ware
Nick Albano, a 1997 Danbury High graduate, gives some direction to students as they rehearse for their production of "The Wiz."
DANBURY Danbury High School this week presents "The Wiz," a musical about a girl named Dorothy who is taken from her home by a tornado and transported to the land of Oz.
The annual production showcases the school's musical, acting and dancing talent. But this year, the creativity and generosity of former students are also on display.
In a way, it fulfills Dorothy's plea, "I want to go home."
Dozens of Danbury High alumni are volunteering with lights, music, costumes, sets and as actors. They include a marrie
d couple who met during their senior production in 1997 and a former high school star.
The show always includes more than a dozen high school faculty members, administrators from the district and the city's mayor.
"It was nice to step in and give back to the place where I got my start," said Justin Morgan, who works for a company that provides theatrical lighting systems in the tri-state area. He also works part time in the high school auditorium, but for this, he volunteers.
"It's like a family. It sets us apart (as a school), the number of alumni who come back. They sell tickets, usher, and hang up signs around town," Morgan said. "In professional theater, there is a dividing line between crew and performers. Here they co-mingle. They enjoy each other's company. No matter how hard a day I've had, when I come here I'm rejuvenated by the kids."
Morgan's wife, Lauren, majored in theater studies at the University of Connecticut. She's overseeing costumes and set design for the production.
"I love being back here. The kids are amazing. We made a 'to-do' list that we thought would take a week and it lasted two days," she said. "I've never met such a large group of dedicated, hard working, fun kids."
Although based on the L. Frank Baum story, the original 1975 Broadway production "The Wiz" updated the story, adding an all-black cast, a rock music score and an updated libretto.
"The Wiz" ran for 1,672 performances in New York and won seven Tony awards.
This production stars seniors Simone Anderson as Dorothy, Colleen Gallagher as the Scarecrow, and Sasha Frenkel as the Lion. Sophomore Elkin Taveras plays the Tin Man. Lamar Staton, who returned to Danbury after a year of college in New York, plays "The Wiz."
Staton, who was called back three times to audition for the national touring company of "Rent," was glad to be back.
"It's great to be here. It brings back the good times I remember,'' he said. "I get to see the new people and the new talent. I am amazed to see the young underclassmen have such talent at such a young age."
Anderson, 17, who plays Dorothy, is in her first role in the school. She said liked having alumni around.
"They're the ones who can tell you how to act. It's good. They teach us more. It's been really really wonderful," Anderson said.
She understood why the graduates came back.
"This is where you first begin plays. In college, it's really different so this is like going back to childhood, to what is familiar," she said.
Teacher Cindy NeJame, the producer and director of the annual event, said the dynamic among the crew, cast and orchestra was excellent.
"When you look at Danbury," she said, "and you see who comes back to serve the school, it's such a tribute to the school."
Nick Albano, Class of 1997, conducts the orchestra and Michael Burnett is choreographer.
Albano teaches instrumental music at two Danbury elementary schools, but has been coming back for a couple of years to play in the musical. He's conducting for the second time.
"To come back and demonstrate to the kids, to be that kind of role model, is great," Albano said. "You become a family and pull together. You don't get tired of it, at least I don't."
Alumni playing in the orchestra include bass player Kevin Smith and trombonist Pete Puccio.
"The music is great. It's '70s funk and Motown. You can't ask for a better show to play," said Albano.
"There is always, year after year, cameos by the mayor or by people in the school,'' he said. "It's a community affair."
back
2004-02-06
Danbury High grad sounds off on success
By Eileen FitzGerald THE NEWS-TIMES
Peter Hylenski, a Danbury High graduate, is now a successful sound designer and has been nominated for a prestigious award for his work in England.
During his summers as a teenager, Danbury native Peter Hylenski worked backstage at Candlewood Playhouse in New Fairfield.
He also interned at Saturday Night Live, and as a senior at Danbury High, he managed sound and sets for the school production of "West Side Story."
The 1997 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University forged a career in sound design and has built a prodigious resume on such Broadway productions as "The Music Man," "Fosse," "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "Ragtime." He's also illustrated his versatility on shows for Cirque du Soleil and the Hayden Planetarium.
After less than a decade in his field, the 28-year-old has been nominated for a prestigious Olivier Award in England for sound design for the London production of "Ragtime."
This is the first year the Olivier Awards, which are comparable to Broadway's Tony Awards, recognize sound design. Hylenski is one of four nominees. The winners will be announced in a ceremony Feb. 22 in London.
This is a big step for me and it is more rewarding because it is the first year that sound design is recognized, Hylenski said during a telephone interview from England Jan. 28.
Sound designers manage the emotional impact of the music on the audience.
For sound design, you are in charge of the oral experience of the audience. In theater, it means sound effects, which is a small part as well as responsibility for the sound of the voices, for the orchestra and how they are blended together, Hylenski said. The music builds and takes you for a ride. You have to push and pull the audience. It's subconscious. You bring them on a journey.
"Ragtime" is based on a novel by E. L. Doctorow and has music by Stephen Flaherty. The West End production opened for a limited run March 19 at the Piccadilly Theater.
The London production also was nominated for an Olivier as best new musical. Its other Olivier nominations include Strafford Arima as best director, Maria Friedman as best actress, Graham Bickley and Kevyn Morrow as best actor, Matthew White as supporting actor and Howard Harrison for lighting.
Hylenski was associate sound designer for the Broadway production of "Ragtime" and subsequent productions, which he said were expansive, with lavish costumes, sets and dancing.
"This London production was cut down, simplistic. We try to focus on the music and the words and have a lot of purity of design. We wanted to make sure the orchestra sounded warm and lush and the voices were crystal clear," Hylenski said.
Director Arima did not use as much scenery and wanted more from lighting and sound.
"I am definitely proud of the design," he said. "It is less about bells and whistles. We wanted to try to make the audience feel enveloped by the music."
Hylenski started studying music in fourth grade in Danbury and continued through high school. In his senior year, teacher Cindy NeJame rekindled the high school's annual theater production and Hylenski was put in charge of technical design, scenery and sound.
"I'm very happy to see it (the high school program) continuing on so that other children can come out of that program and go on to other professions in theater," Hylenski said.
His mother, Angela Hylenski, a secretary at Danbury High, said she and her husband, Peter, were proud and excited about her son's nomination.
"We believe his talents have come from God, but it was the Danbury Public Schools that allowed him the ability to explore and use his talents," Angela Hylenski said. "His physics teacher allowed him to explore sound and his computer teacher allowed him to explore sound. He was taught what to do, and at Carnegie Mellon they told him he was well prepared for college."
The scope of her son's work impresses her.
"At one time he had four shows on Broadway that he had worked on. His name was in the playbill at one theater and then you'd walk to the next theater and see his name again," she said.
One time, she got home from work to see her son on Rosie O'Donnell's show, where he was showing her how to play his drums.
Hylenski, who has worked in England before, said more and more people are working both in the United States and abroad.
"Performers, producers and directors can jump between London and New York," he said.
Some of the hits in New York like "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables" ran first in London, while Broadway favorites like "The Lion King" and "The Producers" have made their way to London, he said.
Hylenski received a phone call to inform him of his nomination. He said that was the first time he learned sound design would be included in the annual Olivier awards.
"This is my first design in England," he said. "It's very exciting."
2003-05-12
Super trouper
Cancer patient's zest for performing infuses Danbury High musical
By Eileen FitzGerald THE NEWS-TIMES
Photography by Carol Kaliff
Veteran community theater performer and cancer patient Charles NeJame, in top hat above, joins the Danbury High School cast of "Honk" in a dress rehearsal at the school.
DANBURY Seventy-four-year-old Charles NeJame tap-danced across the Danbury High School stage wearing his frog-green, tie-dyed long underwear and a red vest.
His cream-colored top hat sat firmly on his head. He waved an umbrella that occasionally served as his cane.
Out there, someone's going to love you, someone's going to love you, warts and all, he crooned, with a confidence born of years
in community theater.
He's cast as Bull Frog in "Honk," a musical version of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling" his daughter is producing at the high school on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
"Daddy, you can rest now," Cindy NeJame said as she followed him offstage and prepared to rehearse another act.
She stopped beside him as she urged him to take a seat.
NeJame plays Bull Frog in the musical version of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling," May 15, 16, and 17.
"Daddy, I just want to give you a note," she said quietly, reminding him to face the cast when he spoke a particular line.
Cindy NeJame, a high school English teacher, was about 5 years old when her father first put her on stage in a play he was in with the Country Players of Brookfield. Throughout her childhood, he took her to see Broadway plays. Now, she fuels her love for the theater producing high school musicals every spring.
The only other time Cindy NeJame cast her father was four years ago, when he was in a hospital bed with wires hooked to his body after triple bypass surgery. She offered him a part in "West Side Story."
"We have a joke that I had to get sick to get a part in her play," NeJame said.
This year, more than ever, the bright lights and energy of the stage provide a welcome respite for both. NeJame was diagnosed with cancer in November.
NeJame relaxes with his daughter and Danbury High teacher Cindy NeJame, who is producing and directing "Honk."
He plans his rehearsals for the days he's strongest following his chemotherapy treatments each week.
"I let loose here. It's like an antidote. I've got a family looking out for me and I'm not letting it get me down. I'm not giving up. That's about it," NeJame said. "I love working with her (Cindy) and they treat me royally. They celebrated my birthday last week. They all came out and sang 'Happy Birthday.' I feel comfortable with the students."
NeJame joins 60 student actors, 35 school staff, a dozen student musicians and 40 student crew members in the production, in which he plays an old frog.
His daughter said the difference in his demeanor at home, where he sleeps a lot, and his energy on stage working with the students, serves as a lesson in the human spirit and the value of drama and music therapy.
Charles NeJame, sitting at left, performs in Danbury High School's production of "Honk."
"He takes a variety of medicines that would knock out a cow, yet he perseveres," she said.
Cindy NeJame said her father won't allow her to pamper him. But, everyone in the family has helped him rehearse and knows his lines, as do the four girls who act on stage with him.
"We knew he was sick before he came, but then when he came, he had such energy that worrying about him was not a problem," said sophomore Lianne Pignatello, who performs with him. "He always knows his lines and if he doesn't know them he just makes them up. He's on top of everything."
Juniors Caitlin Nolan and Erin McAvoy, who also perform with him, are impressed with NeJame's playfulness, his ready smile and his affection for his daughter.
"I love seeing Ms. Niz (Cindy) and him connect. You can see they really love each other and how close they really are," McAvoy said.
He's an inspiration to junior Abby Woodhouse.
"He's a major role model to me because he doesn't bring his problems here," she said. "He leaves them aside. He's really fun and he's just an amazing person to work with."
"Honk" is the musical version of Hans Christian Andersen's classic story, "The Ugly Duckling." It stars sophomore Robert Sniffin, junior Colleen Gallagher, and senior C.J. Dash.
"It's a celebration of diversity and it so parallels what our school represents," Cindy NeJame said. "It's a timeless issue. When you look at the state of our world, what the problems are about are differences. It's a message for children and adults."
The play is powerful for the students too, Woodhouse said.
"No matter what age you are, you're going to get the message," she said. "It's that anyone, no matter what you look like or how you are, there's always a spot for you, you just have to find it.
The two NeJames aren't letting down after the play is over. The father-daughter team plans to offer some karaoke workshops at Ann's Place, the cancer support center in Danbury.
"It's a gift," Cindy NeJame said of this production. "I'm really treasuring the whole process. There have been challenges along the way and we're conquering them."
2002-12-31
Danbury High grad forging path in world of show business
By Eileen FitzGerald THE NEWS-TIMES
Erin Kiernan
Danbury High graduate Christina Ellington is part of an elite performing arts program at New York University.
DANBURY Christina Ellington knows what it takes to succeed in a tough business.
On the brink of a career in theater, the 20-year-old has already demonstrated academic excellence, versatility as a performer and a willingness to give back to the community.
A junior at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Ellington spends most of each school day in dance, voice and drama classes while juggling the academic course work needed for her bachelor's degree in fine arts.
The Danbury High School graduate is among 60 students selected from 2,000 for the university's Collaborative Arts Project 21, a musical theater conservatory within Tisch that trains actors who can sing and dance.
"You meet incredibly talented people. You get inspired every day watching others. It's wonderful watching other people succeed and get better," Ellington said during Christmas break from college.
"At New York University, everyone is academically oriented and used to perfection but in theater, you have to let go and reveal yourself a little bit more," she said. "I definitely made a journey. You don't realize how much you changed and improved until your third year, though you want to see it right away."
Ellington, a Tisch scholar, said she'll attend her first Broadway audition in January and will compete in the Miss Manhattan pageant in the spring.
She's competed in pageants since she was 9 years old and won several titles, most recently Miss Five Boroughs in 2002, followed by the Miss New York contest in June 2002. She was second runner-up and one of the preliminary talent winners.
Her message for the pageants and her work in the community focuses on building self esteem in children.
"I moved around a lot and had to learn to adjust. I want to get kids to learn about themselves and make their own decisions. I use theater to get kids to use their voices and their bodies," Ellington said.
Cindy NeJame, Danbury High's speech and drama teacher, said Ellington is succeeding in a competitive business.
"She knows how to use her energy. I really believe that positive attracts positive and she creates positive things with the positive attitude she exudes," said NeJame, who cast Ellington as a lost boy in "Peter Pan" in 1999 and as Maria in "West Side Story" for the high school's 2000 spring production.
Not only does Ellington follow her dream to be on stage, NeJame said, she's generous in her work with children and the high schoolers who want to follow in her footsteps.
"She's so talented but more so than her talent is her character. She's already created such a difference in this world," NeJame said.
An admitted perfectionist, Ellington said her first year in college was difficult but she persevered because she has wanted to be on stage since childhood.
When students enter the program, some are already acting on Broadway and some are starting new on stage. The school does not allow freshmen to audition or work in any show, so they can focus on what is being taught in class and learn what it means to work with different people, she said.
"After you learn the technical stuff, then you have to learn to be present (on stage), otherwise you're an actor working on the stage instead of being a character," Ellington said.
In her second year, she landed the starring role in the conservatory's production of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."
"As much as a thrilling experience, it was incredibly difficult," Ellington said. "You don't have understudies. It was a huge learning experience."
Ellington spends three days a week in dance, music and acting class from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. She takes jazz, tap, ballet and modern dance classes, private voice classes, monologue and acting classes. Next year, she will learn the business end of the theater.
"They expect you to take risks, to find your weaknesses and to know them because out in the real world, those weaknesses may be your strengths," she said.
Ellington plans to get a master's degree in education theater and stay based in New York while she begins auditioning.
"Normally an audition requires singing 16 bars of a song that shows you off. 'The Lion King' is a good place to start because it's a diverse cast," she said.
She's open to what's next.
"I went in this knowing what you hear all the time, that this is a tough business," Ellington said. "We all love it so much, though, that those things don't matter."
2002-05-03
DHS cuts loose
Director Cindy Nejame energizes "Footloose" cast
Story by Eileen FitzGerald n Photography by Carol Kaliff
Lamar Staton, 18, left, and Stephanie Feigen, 16, leads in Danbury High's production of "Footloose," sing and dance to "I'm Free" at the end of Act I.
DANBURY Red choir robes stood out on the Danbury High School auditorium stage as actors rehearsed a church scene. But the somberness was short-lived. "loose, footloose, kick off your Sunday shoes. Please, Louise, pull me offa my knees. Jack, get back, c'mon before we crack. Lose your blues, everybody cut footloose." With a guitar, piano and drum pounding out the tune, cast members started rocking in practice for the school's musical, which opens May 16 and runs through May 18. "Footloose" is this year's production chosen by high school teacher Cindy NeJame, who has produced and directed musicals for the past 10 years. The play is about a city boy who moves to a small midwestern town that prohibits dancing, and sets about changing the laws. Senior Cynthia Oquendo, 18, who is off to Yale University in the fall, plays the wife of the coach, in her third high school
musical. Oquendo credited NeJame for the excellence of the productions. "She's completely honest with us. If our singing is horrible, she tells us and she pushes us to our limits," Oquendo said. "I think she has more energy than the rest of us combined. She serves as an example and gets us psyched."
NeJame not only accepts all the students who want to participate but recruits teachers, administrators and school staff to act along side their charges. "I started that (practice) right away because it's not just about the product, it's also about the process," NeJame said. "The school is about community and this is the whole spirit of the community." Besides, it's fun. "We're veterans," bragged assistant principal Jessie Ballenger and main office secretary Angela Hylenski as they waited for direction. "We like to be here and support the kids, even though we are hams. We have fun with them. We become kids again," Ballenger said. "On opening night, the kids shine. The energy level is so high. We just bounce off each other." Including the adults makes NeJame's productions unique. "That's what's different about these plays and the kids don't seem to mind it either," Hylenski said. This year, along with a half-dozen teachers, assi
stant superintendent William Glass will be lead guitarist in the pit orchestra, while Superintendent Timothy Connors, high school principal John Goetz, city Mayor Mark Boughton and police officer Joe Monroe will have speaking parts. "Guys and Dolls," "West Side Story," "Peter Pan" and "My Fair Lady" are some of the plays NeJame has produced. This year, it was hard to choose a musical soon after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. "It was a time when music and joy was lacking in our lives, but ultimately we needed to move forward," NeJame said. "Just as we faced tragedy, we needed to create a time to dance." She said she hopes the lesson everyone learned from Sept. 11 was to cherish each moment. Senior Matt Austin, 17, has performed in four
plays. This year, he's cast as Willard, the best friend of male lead Lamar Staton. "When I used to come to see these plays as a kid, I used to tell myself that I would like to be in them. They looked like so much fun," Austin said. "And it is so much fun. It's extremely fun. I'm going to miss this time each spring." "Footloose" will be performed at Danbury High School May 16 at 7 p.m. and May 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 and $9 and can be ordered by calling 790-2800. Contact Eileen FitzGerald at eileenf@newstimes.com or (203) 731-3333.
2001-02-01
Frozen for a cause
DHS students become living statues to raise funds for children's clinic
By Eileen FitzGerald THE NEWS-TIMES
Photography by Wendy Carlson
From left, Melissa Ruopp, Megan Medeiros and Sandy Marano watch theater instructor Cindy NeJame apply makeup to Lisa Vachovetz. The Danbury High School theater production students became living statues at Borders Books and Music, moving only in response to donations for Hanahoe Memorial Children's Clinic.
DANBURY Megan Medeiros dressed like a ballerina who twirls atop a young girl's music box. And when visitors to Borders Books and Music dropped donations in front of the Danbury High School senior Saturday, she'd twirl. Megan and eight of her classmates from the theater production class at Danbury High created characters and costumes. For two hours they became living statues in the book store, moving only in response to donations. The students learned how to concentrate and to immerse themselves in a role amid the action surrounding them. And, they raised $500 for the Hanahoe Memorial Children's Clinic. But it wasn't easy. "We didn't know how to freeze and not laugh," said Noa Mor-Ott, who transformed herself into a Greek goddess, spraying her hair gold and using a bronze skin cream. "The more we practiced the more confident we became. You have to be so
concentrated." Bryan Rickert was a bronze cowboy. "It was the coolest thing," Rickert said. "People didn't know if we were real. One man stood next to me and bumped into me and said to his wife, 'Honey, this man is real.'" Teacher Cindy NeJame challenged the students to create the characters and then learn the art of pantomime, which relies on movement, gesture and facial expression. NeJame was inspired by the mimes who entertain in the summer on the streets of Barcelona. Those street artists often are taking breaks from other lives as teachers, dancers or waiters to create their characters and costumes. "The skills they learned don't just relate to the stage but to their lives," NeJame said. "It's healthy risk-taking and it translates beyond the stage." Giving the donations to Hanahoe made sense. "It's older children helping the young children," NeJame said. Sandy Marano became an angel and found it challenging to work with the audience so close. Crystal John surprised herself by becoming Tina Turner. "I totally underestimated myself," John said. "As a little kid, we would play the game of who could stay quiet for five minutes and we would break. But as Tina Turner, I had a focused seriousness." The students' performance was a good example of how Borders tries to include the community, especially highlighting locally talented children and musicians. "This particular e
vent was wonderful. The kids brought such energy. The staff loved it and the customers loved it. It was terrific," said Toni LaClair, Borders' community relations coordinator. Borders, which donated $50 to the students for Hanahoe, also collects book donations for Hanahoe at Christmas. Over all, the assignment was challenging but good for the class. "The project created a really strong bond between us," said Noa Mor-Ott. "The more we prepared, the more we helped each other with costumes and movement. It brought us together."
2001-10-31
'Footloose' and working for peace
DHS Drama Club T-shirt sale to fund Peace Bank for city
By Eileen FitzGerald THE NEWS-TIMES
The News-Times/Michael Duffy
Danbury High students Stephanie Feigern, center, and Caryn Brock, thank their fellow students as they waltz into the drama room to a standing ovation following the announcement of the Drama Club's spring production of "Footloose."
DANBURY Before the Danbury High School drama department cuts loose on its spring production of the play "Footloose," it has work to do.
For the next month, students will sell T-shirts with a circle made up of the word "peace" written in the 46 languages spoken in 60 countries, all of them represented at Danbury High. The shirts are black with white lettering
Students will use the money to start a Peace Bank for projects in the community that will further peace.
"Each of you has an important message to bring to others," teacher and director Cindy NeJame told about 100 students gathered for the play announcement Monday. "It starts today, not at the audition, not at the first rehearsal. We want to do everything we can do to promote peace."
The shirts sell for $12 and can be ordered at the high school.
"We want you to feel a connection with where the Peace Bank funds go," NeJame said. "Our job is to think how to create projects that create peace locally and globally."
The Peace Bank money might be used to create a peace memorial in Danbury for calm reflection. Or it might be donated to the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury in tribute to the women in Afghanistan. Or to create a scholarship fund in honor of the local victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, she said.
Two years ago, the drama department started an online wall of hope that generated messages of hope from around the world.
Senior Pratt Austin said the Peace Bank is another way to reach out for peace.
Fund-raising for local needs is necessary now, said senior Tennessee Molineaux, 17.
"A lot of charities have been neglected since Sept. 11," she said.
She also liked the idea of helping the women here in honor of the women in Afghanistan.
"I think it's a great idea," said senior Erica Stewart, 17. "It's a way for us to unite, for us to show that it's all right to love one another even though we're all different."ť
"Footloose"ť is about a city boy who moves to a small Midwestern town whose government has banned rock music and dancing. He sets about changing the law.
NeJame said she chose the lively, upbeat play to help students and viewers stay in touch with the child inside and not succumb to negativity in reflection of the Sept. 11 terrorism and chain of events that have followed.
"There is one thing that is common no matter what production we do," NeJame told students. "That this is not about the play, it's what makes up the play. You have choice to create anything you wish and to bring joy and light into the universe."ť
February 2, 2000
The News-Times/David W. Harple
Ashley Gentile, left, and Rachel Lebetkin work together in a dance rehearsal at Danbury High School for the school's presentation of "West Side Story." The school is performing the musical in an attempt to break down stereotypes. The school has tied a Web page to the production preaching tolerance.
Messages of inclusion adorn DHS walls
By Eileen FitzGerald
THE NEWS-TIMES
People from around the world promise acts of kindness, love and tolerance inelectronic messages they are sending for a Wall of Hope being created on a computer in Danbury High School.
A second wall is under construction in the school auditorium where students are building a set for the annual spring musical, this year "West Side Story." Rehearsals began this week.
The two "walls" will unite in the May production when the messages will be written on the brick wall on stage.
Danbury High chose "West Side Story" for the chance to portray the musical's vivid lessons about gang violence, ethnic hatred and the mortal outcomes from stereotyping, said teacher Cindy NeJame, the play's producer and director.
The two-week-old Wall of Hope expands on the lessons of the play. About 70 people from around the country, as well as from the Republic of China, South Africa, Germany and the United Kingdom have sent messages.
"This is the focus of 'West Side Story,' breaking down stereotypes and taking an inclusive look at diversity. This (the wall) is doing that,'' NeJame said.
Visitors to the site are asked to send a "Message of Hope'' to create a wall of strength and solidarity. The "cost" for participating is that message-writers must commit to bring new positive energy to another person or to the planet and describe it in their message.
"It's a Web site where people can experience only that which is positive. What a treat that is! That's why I'm excited,'' NeJame said.
NeJame dreamed up the site last summer as a way to extend the positive feelings generated by the school's production of "Peter Pan" last spring.
Danbury High senior Christina Ellington, 17, who has the role of Maria in the musical, created the Web page and monitors and edits it. She'll be joined on stage by Matt Stempson as Tony; Jennifer Antunovich, who attends the Alternative Center for Education, as Anita; Brendan Irving as Riff; Drew Cohen as A-rab; Lamar Staton as Bernardo; Crystal John as Rosalia and Christopher Bennett as Action.
Michael Burnett is choreographer.
Ellington sees "West Side Story" as a chance to remind people to accept, not judge, people and she's found the Web page to be an effective way for people to share their ideas.
"They (messages) all have been great. There are these young kids, elementary age, who tell their goals and aspirations,'' Ellington said. "This is an idea that has been very close to my soul. I've moved around a lot and had to adjust to new friendships and get people to accept me for who I am." The address of the web site is :Http:// www.dhsproductions.org
May 15, 2000
The News-Times/Douglas Healey
Danbury High students rehearse their production of "West Side Story," which will run May 18-20.
DHS students stage 'West Side Story'
DANBURY New York City street gangs, the Sharks and Jets, come to life on the stage at Danbury High School May 18-20 with the student production of "West Side Story."
The landmark musical, which brings the 16th century tale of love, rebellion and loss in "Romeo and Juliet" to Spanish Harlem in the late 1950s, was first a Broadway hit, then an Academy Award-winning movie in 1961.
The Danbury High School production marks the stage debut of senior Matt Stempson as Tony. Maria is played by Christina Ellington, who is off to the New York University Tisch School of Musical Theater Conservatory next year.
Other lead roles include Anita, who is played by Jennifer Antunovich, a senior at the Alternative Center for Education; Bernardo, played by high school sophomore Lemar Staton, and A-rab, played by Drew Cohen.
The News-Times/Douglas Healey
Jennifer Antunovich, left, as Anita, and Lemar Staton, playing Bernardo, rehearse a scene.
The play is produced and directed by high school English teacher Cindy NeJame; costume designer is Laura Esposito; set and design director is Robert Rogers, and choreographer is Michael Burnett. High school band director Gary Ruggiero will conduct the pit orchestra of high school students.
Tickets are on sale at Danbury High School weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., from 2 to 3 p.m., and at the door. The May 18 performance is at 7 p.m. and May 19 and 20 will be at 7:30 p.m. For information, call (203) 790-2800.
back
Gearing up for an enchanting show
Danbury High production of 'Peter Pan' contains surprises
The News-Times/Douglas Healey
Right: Harriet Siskin plays the piano during a rehearsal of the song "IWon't Grow Up" for the production of "Peter Pan" at DanburyHigh.
Above: Lisa Vacheovetz carries part of a set for the play. At left is stage manager Josh Morgan.
By Eileen FitzGerald
THE NEWS-TIMES
DANBURY "Peter Pan" enchants the viewer and the Danbury High School crew is calling on some unexpected resources to ensure there is magic in their May production of the classic children's story.
While students in the honors physics class are busy calculating what it will take to fly a non-living Peter Pan twin above the auditorium, other students are raising money to pay professionals to fly the live Peter Pan actor across the stage.
The set designers are busy figuring out how they will turn fantasy into reality. Meanwhile school musicians are practicing the melodies that will accompany a cast which includes students as well as assistant school principals , Mayor Gene Eriquez and superintendent Timothy Connors.
"Give me everything. I expect to see maximized energy,'' teacher, producer and director Cindy NeJame said, coaxing the cast through a recent rehearsal with her emblematic positive force.
With the smell of fresh paint in the background, 15-year-old sophomore Crystal John recited her lines as Peter Pan.
"It's overwhelming, since it's my first play and I'm in the lead role,'' John said.
The part of Wendy Darling is Heather Coladarci's first big role.
"It's scary and exciting at the same time, but I'm looking forward to it,'' said the 16-year-old junior, who's performed in other school plays.
The News-Times/Douglas Healey
Right: Harriet Siskin plays the piano during a rehearsal of the song "IWon't Grow Up" for the production of "Peter Pan" at DanburyHigh.
Above: Lisa Vacheovetz carries part of a set for the play. At left is stage manager Josh Morgan.
"I think we're having a lot more fun doing this because we're getting into our characters," explained senior Sarah Bigham, 17, also a veteran actor. "We're putting ourselves into little kids' bodies.''
Playing a pirate and being a member of the stage crew offers Lisa Vachovetz a rare look at two sides of the play.
"The sets create the atmosphere and the actors create the attitude,'' said the 15-year-old sophomore.
The set design and construction crew is headed up by sophomores Bryan Rickert and Josh Morgan, and juniors Courtney Linder and Brian Ingalls. The production requires five major sets; the Darling house; the Neverland forest; Captain Hook's ship; the flying scene and Peter Pan's underground house.
Robert Rogers, founder of the Robert Rogers Puppet Company, is the set designer and technical director. Six years ago, he helped with the lights on a production and slowly he's become more involved. This year, he said he's been teaching the students as well. He brings the crew to work at his Danbury shop so they can make the oversized puppets for the play, including Nanna the dog and the crocodile in Neverland.
"This is "Peter Pan." It's a story for little kids. I'm surprised they identify with it so much. They understand what it means to be Indians and lost boys," Rogers said. "I help them, but they're giving me this opportunity. I do it because it's fun, it's not work, and there's no one else coming along.''
NeJame acknowledged the production is a major effort but she expects the students to deliver. She's learned, since producing her first play in 1993, how to delegate and help the students achieve.
"Everything we do is ambitious because of the spirit in which we do it,'' NeJame said. "We have extremely high aspirations. I think anything these guys take on is ambitious. This group has displayed such incredible talent. They have tremendous potential."
Other key roles in "Peter Pan" include junior Chris Banks, 17, as Captain Hook; freshman Daniel Bayer, 15, as John Darling; St. Peter's School third-grader David Curran, 8, as Michael Darling; senior Julia Silvestri, 17, as Tinker Bell; ninth-grader Ed Dole as Smee; and sophomore Candi Deschamps, 16, as Mrs. Darling.
Physics teacher Jim Trocella is helping his honors physics class determine what needs to be done to hang a cable across the auditorium so Peter Pan's "twin" can fly.
Measurements of the auditorium, the type and angle of the cable to move the puppet at the right speed and the type of cable that should be used are among the questions he expects his class to answer by the end of April.
"We are just finishing up a chapter on energy and this wraps up what we've been doing,'' Trocella said. "This is putting it into a real world situation, which is nice.''
Senior physics student Hill Chau, 18, has seen "Peter Pan," and looks forward to the assignment.
"Usually, they stick to the stage and this is something different from previous productions of "Peter Pan,'' Chau said, referring to the '91twin' flying out over the audience.
She expects the class to handle the assignment without any problem.
"It's interesting,'' Chau said. "We see people fly across in movies. Now, we get to see how they do it."
Dave Raposo is the orchestra conductor in charge of the music and Michael Burnett is the choreographer.
"The one sad thing about plays is that when it's over, you're not going to see everybody together again,'' said veteran actor Chris Banks. "It's like a big family.''
"Peter Pan" will be performed May 13, 14, and 15th. Children in kindergarten through 12th grade in Danbury and surrounding towns can see a special matinee May 14 between 11:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.
Reservations are requested.
May 13, 1998
Danbury High setting sail for 'South Pacific' this week
By Lynne Royce
THE NEWS-TIMES
DANBURY - Lisa Golden, a green towel wrapped turban-style around her wet hair, stood in the middle of Danbury High School's stage, and rubbed her eyes.
"I have soap in my eyes, ears, everywhere," Golden said as she stopped rehearsal of South Pacific on Monday afternoon to rub soap suds off her face and neck.
(The News-Times/Douglas Healey)
Danbury High School senior Cidalia Alves rehearses her role Monday as Bloody Mary in the high school's production of "South Pacific."
Cindy Nejame, sitting 2
0 rows back from the stage, giggled. It was the first time that the South Pacific cast had tried the hair-washing scene in the musical.
"I'll try to find a shampoo that makes lots of suds without tears," Nejame said jotting this down in her notebook.
Nejame, an English teacher, with "Guys and Dolls" "Grease" and other musicals under her directing and production belt, always crams the auditorium and balcony with people; so many last year that there was flak about people sitting in the aisles. A fire marshal will be stationed at each performance to keep aisles clear.
South Pacific will be performed Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Danbury High School.
Dress rehearsal Monday was organized chaos. People stepped over fake 12-foot palm trees lying in the hall to get to the stage. Nejame and students have been making and stiffening 100 large, floppy, green palm leaves since February.
Christi Holland and her son, Will, of The Jungle Garden Center, Bethel, were placing 220 real palm plants around the stage and installing a cascading waterfall to create a South Pacific feeling.
"God, she is amazing. She just doesn't stop," Holland said as Nejame zipped all over the place.
Nejame was not the only one bustling around. Ben Walker, high school band director, tuned up the orchestra. Elementary students in the play chased each other. and chatted with teens. High school staff filed into the auditorium dressed in muumuus.
Suddenly, all was quiet. Nejame took her seat in the auditorium and the dress rehearsal began. Activity did not cease around Nejame. She fielded dozens of questions about set changes, script and dance routines. She constantly made notes to herself as she watched the performance. At one point she leaped up, climbed over two seats and ran down to ask Walker to pick up the musical beat and asked another student to turn off the waterfall as it blocked the actors' voices.
"Tomorrow our sound engineers are coming. That has tended to be our weak spot, but it won't be this year," Nejame said
During a 15-minute break between acts, Lisa, a senior, said that it felt "weird" to play a romantic lead with Stan Watkins, the school's crisis counselor.
"I didn't know what to say We didn't talk much," Lisa said of early rehearsals with Watkins. "Then we loosened up and started joking around. Now I treat him like one of the kids. "
Nejame likes to mix adults and teens in her cast and picked Watkins for the male lead as his character Emile de'Becque is an older man with children, a role she felt a teen could not pull off. She picked Watkins because of his "aura" and was amazed to find he could sing. He's taking voice lessons for the production.
Other adults in the cast include the "coconut men", Nejame's reference to their costumes: Mayor Gene Eriquez, Superintendent Timothy Connors and Danbury High School Principal John Goetz.
While everyone was hopping, Nejame said it all comes together opening night.
"Something happens," she said "The molecules in the audience reach the actors and crew. There's nothing better than being on stage and having a full auditorium."
Tickets, which are $7 for students and $9 for adults ,are on sale at Danbury High School. On opening night only, groups of 20 or more can pay $5 per ticket. Ticket information may be obtained by calling 790-2824.