This year’s upper school spring musical, “Urinetown,” wowed audiences this past weekend at the Patil Theater with its timely satirical tale of political unrest. The cast, who this summer will be the fourth in Harker history to travel to Scotland to appear at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, were fantastic in their roles as the citizens, businesspeople and politicians caught up in the drama of a town in the clutches of a ruthless megacorporation.
The Harker Conservatory reached a milestone this past weekend, as this year’s spring musical, “42nd Street,” was the first to be held at the Rothschild Performing Arts Center. Set in 1930s New York, “42nd Street” is a classic yarn about showbiz dreams and behind-the-scenes drama, with all the dazzling music and choreography natural to a musical about a musical.
It was also a great choice for the first musical to take place in the new, state-of-the-art Patil Theater, outfitted with a stage large enough to hold what director Laura Lang-Ree termed “the embodiment of the genre.” The complex set pieces and captivating performances drew big audiences, which filled the Patil Theater nearly to capacity for two of the four showings.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
The middle school performing arts department turned to the works of Walt Disney for this year’s spring musical, bringing the classic animated film “Aladdin” to the stage at the Blackford Theater. The musical followed the plot of the beloved 1992 film, in which the street urchin for which the movie is named (played by Sahil Kapur, grade 8) comes into the possession of a magic lamp containing a Genie (Sameep Mangat, grade 8) who will grant him three wishes. This prompts a series of exciting and hilarious adventures, with Aladdin trying to undo the machinations of the evil vizier Jafar (Akhil Arun, grade 8) while love blooms between Aladdin and the sultan’s daughter, Princess Jasmine (Vanessa Tyagi, grade 8).
As in the film, the stage production contained many elaborate musical numbers, which were choreographed by Natalie Quilici. Meanwhile, vocal director Mary Ellen Agnew-Place and music director Lane Sanders presided over the fantastic music from the band and the cast. The film’s Arabian setting was rendered wonderfully by set designer Paul Vallerga, with lighting designed by Natti Pierce-Thomson. As always, student crew members were a crucial part of the operation, helping to ensure that the production ran smoothly at all times.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Neon, stone-washed denim and gallons of hairspray made a temporary comeback during the Harker Conservatory’s spring musical, “The Wedding Singer,” which played at the Blackford Theater in late April.
Mid-‘80s New Jersey was the setting for this lovable romantic comedy, directed by Laura Lang-Ree. Happy-go-lucky wedding singer Robbie (Ian Richardson, grade 12) goes from ecstatic to crestfallen when his longtime girlfriend Linda (Caroline Howells, grade 11) unceremoniously dumps him at the altar with a note. The resulting comedy drew plenty of laughs, as well as “oohs” and “ahhs” for the Katie O’Bryon choreographed musical sequences, not to mention “awws” for its heartfelt emotional center.
Set against the ostentatious backdrop of the 1980s, “The Wedding Singer” employed many nods to the culture of the decade. The musical’s score, fittingly filled with touches of synth pop and new wave, was wonderfully played by The Wedding Singer band, directed by Catherine Snider.
As with every major performing arts production, the student crew proved invaluable.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Neon, stone-washed denim and gallons of hairspray made a temporary comeback during the Harker Conservatory’s spring musical, “The Wedding Singer,” which played at the Blackford Theater in late April.
Mid-‘80s New Jersey was the setting for this lovable romantic comedy, directed by Laura Lang-Ree. Happy-go-lucky wedding singer Robbie (Ian Richardson, grade 12) goes from ecstatic to crestfallen when his longtime girlfriend Linda (Caroline Howells, grade 11) unceremoniously dumps him at the altar with a note. The resulting comedy drew plenty of laughs, as well as “oohs” and “ahhs” for the Katie O’Bryon choreographed musical sequences, not to mention “awws” for its heartfelt emotional center.
Set against the ostentatious backdrop of the 1980s, “The Wedding Singer” employed many nods to the culture of the decade. The musical’s score, fittingly filled with touches of synth pop and new wave, was wonderfully played by The Wedding Singer band, directed by Catherine Snider.
As with every major performing arts production, the student crew proved invaluable.
This article originally appeared in the summer 2014 Harker Quarterly.
Neon, stone-washed denim and gallons of hairspray made a temporary comeback during the Harker Conservatory’s spring musical, “The Wedding Singer,” which played at the Blackford Theater in late April.
Mid-‘80s New Jersey was the setting for this lovable romantic comedy, directed by Laura Lang-Ree. Happy-go-lucky wedding singer Robbie (Ian Richardson, grade 12) goes from ecstatic to crestfallen when his longtime girlfriend Linda (Caroline Howells, grade 11) unceremoniously dumps him at the altar with a note. The resulting comedy drew plenty of laughs, as well as “oohs” and “ahhs” for the Katie O’Bryon choreographed musical sequences, not to mention “awws” for its heartfelt emotional center.
Set against the ostentatious backdrop of the 1980s, “The Wedding Singer” employed many nods to the culture of the decade. The musical’s score, fittingly filled with touches of synth pop and new wave, was wonderfully played by The Wedding Singer band, directed by Catherine Snider.
As with every major performing arts production, the student crew proved invaluable.