Genescene

ON THE

www.thedailynewsonline.com

A5 Thursday, March 10, 2022 The Daily News

IT’S SHOWTIME PERRY

PERRY CENTRAL SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPH

Perry Central School students perform a scene from their musical, “Pippin,” opening Friday. Students prepared alongside directors from the Shake on the Lake theater troupe.

‘Pippin’ pairs students with pros

Special to The Daily News
PERRY – Professional actor Josh Marcks recalls
that Pippin was the first musical he ever saw. It’s
also the show that led him to pursue theater as a
career.
Marcks, who has been a member of the Shake
on the Lake theater troupe since 2016, has recent-
ly shared his passion with Perry Central School
students for the Drama Club’s production of
“Pippin.” Performances are scheduled for Friday
and Saturday on the high school stage.
“To introduce this show to these young per-
formers and audience members, to hopefully
inspire the next generation of theatermakers, has
brought my journey full circle,” said Marcks. “It’s
a dream come true.”
The production builds on collaborations be-
tween students and the Shake on the Lake team
that began in 2016. This musical production is set
to be the first result of a new production collabo-
ration that the drama club plans to use to expand
learning and performance opportunities for stu-
dents, according to school and Shake on the Lake
representatives.
“Pippin” is a musical comedy featuring iconic
music, dance, acrobatic feats and fantastic illu-
sions. The show tells the story of Pippin, the titu-
lar son of Charlemagne, as he searches out a way
to give his life an extraordinary meaning.
The original production was directed by Bob
Fosse with music by Stephen Schwartz, who
would go on to compose “Wicked.” The book is
PERRY CENTRAL SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPH
Perry High School’s production of “Pippin”
draws inspiration from the circus.
by Roger O. Hirson.
Since the 2013 Broadway revival, directed by
Diane Paulus, Pippin’s story has also been told
through the lens of a circus performance.
Perry High School’s production of “Pippin”
will draw inspiration from this circus concept and
feature stage magic, shadow puppetry, illusion,
and acrobatics, among other surprises.
The production is also benefiting from a
$20,000 gift the Perry Education Foundation
that will see Perry High School be one of the first
schools in Western New York to stage the produc-
tion alongside a professional theater company.
Shake on the Lake co-founder and produc-
ing artistic director Josh Rice, a 1999 graduate
of Perry Central School, began working with
Perry students back in 2016 when he created the
Groundlings program, a two-week theater arts
residency for seventh through 12th graders that
includes workshops and lessons on acting, im-
prov and comedy. The program gave students
the chance to work alongside professional artists
in a rehearsal process toward a culminating final
performance. Past projects exposed the students
to art forms and mashups with Shakespeare and
theater that make the work more contemporary,
accessible and fun, including “Star Wars,” pro-
fessional wrestling, puppetry, podcasts, improv
comedy, and more.
“When I was a student at PCS, I had no real
exposure to theater until I went to college,” Rice
said. “That fact has always been the driving force
for Shake on the Lake to create opportunities in
the theater arts to give students that exposure,
and open them up to a world of possibility they
never imagined before. Ultimately, we are re-
cruiting, training, and creating a pipeline of
homegrown talent to one day join our profes-
sional company of artists.”
The program has grown over the years, bring-
ing on additional teaching artists such as Marcks
in 2019.
“The partnership with Shake on the Lake
and PCS Groundlings over the last several years
has been an incredible experience,” Perry High
School Principal Rebecca Belkota said.
Shake on the Lake has entertained more
than 20,000 audience members in 11 counties
throughout Western New York with its fast, fun,
and physical performances since its founding in
2012. The creative team from Shake on the Lake
– Josh Marcks (director), Madeleine Dauer (cho-
reographer), Vinny Mraz (set designer), and Nikki
Gray (costume designer) – are delivering the
same style that audiences have come to expect
from Shake on the Lake performances, now with
the Drama Club.
“The opportunity to include the theater pro-
gram allows more of our students to work col-
laboratively with professional artists and have
exposure to the multitude of opportunities the
arts provides,” Belkota said. “Shake’s passion and
professionalism are unrivaled, and we are grate-
ful to collaborate with them.”
A Quick Look
WHAT: “Pippin,” a musical.
WHEN: 7 p.m. March 11 and 12.
WHERE: Perry High School Auditorium, 33 Watkins
Ave., Perry.
TICKETS: $15 per ticket, of $10 per ticket when
purchasing four or more. Available from the
school box office, which is open noon to 3 p.m.
weekdays, by calling (585) 237-0270 ext. 1011,
or by emailing for ticket reservations to drama-
club@perry.k12.ny.us.

Now hear this! ‘Newsies’ opens tonight

By MALLORY DIEFENBACH
mdiefenbach@batavianews.com
LE ROY — It’s 1899. Joseph
Pulitzer and William Randolph
Hearst raised the price of the pa-
pers for the Newsies, the name
for children selling newspapers
on the street.
The price increase is too high,
making it hard for the boys to
make ends meet because of how
much they had to spend to even
acquire the paper before they
sold them. Together they stand
up and start the Newsboys’
Strike of 1899.
Director Jacqueline McLean
said Le Roy High School stu-
dents were planning on doing
“Newsies” two years ago. Then
the pandemic hit and with vari-
ous COVID-19-related restirc-
tions in place the school’s dra-
ma club instead staged a virtual
show.
“We had decided we really
wanted to do this show and we
weren’t going to give up on it,”
LE ROY
McLean said. “So we jumped to
‘Newsies’ first thing this year.”
She said it’s the first time Le
Roy is doing a show which isn’t
fairy tale based in several years.
It’s the school’s first time doing
“Newsies,” and McLean said
they were waiting for a group
of powerhouse boys as well as a
fantastic group of dancers.
“I think the uniqueness of
the show honestly is just doing
the show itself. It’s an incredibly
difficult show to do,” she said.
“A lot of people don’t do it be-
cause the dancing is incredibly
demanding.”
It’s also the 10th anniver-
sary of “Newsies” appearing
on Broadway. McLean said in
non-pandemic times they take
a New York City trip every year
with their musical kids. The first
trip they took was to see “News-
ies “10 years ago.
The students were delighted
to be able to come back and be
with their friends and sing and
dance in a “really cool show.”
Being theater kids, a few kids
said they had “Newsies” phases.
Evan Williams, a junior play-
ing Jack Kelly, said his grand-
mother was Town Historian
Lynne Belluscio.
“So she went kind of crazy
(when she found out the school
was doing “Newsies”) and
pulled out a bunch of photos of
the newsies of Le Roy and Roch-
ester and all that and sent it to
me,” he said. “Then I would like
talk to her about it.”
Williams said the camarade-
rie of the show was a lot of fun.
Ashlyn Puccio, a junior play-
ing “Racetrack Higgins,” added
what stuck out to her was how
young the characters were —
they were their age when nor-
mally they play adults.
“Most of us are playing com-
pletely different genders. Like
most girls, we are all boys. It’s
very cool,” she said.
The cast also excitedly chat-
tered about how interactive the
musical is not just on stage, but
also with the audience.
“We’re running down the
stairs. We’re screaming bloody
murder. It’s absolutely amaz-
ing,” said Aubrey Puccio, a
freshman playing Finch.
Performances are scheduled
for 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday
and Saturday. Pre-sale tickets
are $10 for adults and $8 for
students and seniors, while
at the door, tickets are $15 for
adults and $10 for students and
seniors. Tickets are available
in advance at https://bit.ly/
LRNewsiesLive.
Newsies will also be streamed
at 8 p.m. March 18 and March
19. Tickets for the streaming
shows are available at https://
bit.ly/LRNewsiesVirtual.
The production is using back
issues of The Daily News for set MARK GUTMAN/DAILY NEWS
decoration and props. Evan Williams as Jack Kelly in “Newsies” at Le Roy High School.
A6 Thursday, March 10, 2022
IT’S
Jack Crandall is performing as The Cat in the Hat and Grace Strassburg is JoJo in “Suessical the Musical,” on stage this weekend at
Pembroke Junior-Senior High School.
Take it from The Cat,
whimsical ‘Seussical’
promises fun for all
By BRIAN QUINN
BQuinn@BataviaNews.com
CORFU — The perform-
ers and their director want
the audience to have fun this
Friday and Saturday when the
curtain rises on “Seussical the
Musical” at Pembroke Junior-
Senior High School.
Among the students taking
the auditorium stage will be
senior Jack Crandall, playing
The Cat in the Hat.
“I like being a showman.
The Cat is nothing if not a
showman,” Crandall said of
the reason he wanted to play
that part.
“I’ve done a few musi-
cals before,” Crandall said.
“It’s fun. I just like doing fun
things.”
As to any unique aspects of
the character, the 17-year-old
said he’s got a narrator role,
which is a little different for
him.
“I like playing funny char-
acters. I like being involved in
different aspects of the play.
He’s in most of the scenes,”
Crandall said.
The whimsical show with its
colorful, oversized scenery is
based on the words of Dr. Se-
uss. The story features themes
of friendship, loyalty, love and
community, as familiar char-
acters JoJo and Horton the
Elephant join The Cat on a fan-
ciful journey involving Horton
protecting an abandoned egg
and discovering a microscopic
world of people dubbed the
Whos on a speck of dust.
Crandall said his first play,
“Cinderstein,” came in sev-
enth grade.
“I was in the Tykes Program
when I was 7, I think,” he said.
“It’s a week-long children’s
production program. It’s really
fun. They get a bunch of little
kids and they practice a play
for a week and at the end of the
week, they put it on. It’s amaz-
ing what they can do.”
Crandall said he was in the
program for two years.
“Eventually, when I got up
here, I started doing plays,” he
said.
Why does he like perform-
ing? “I like seeing people laugh
and it’s very easy to make peo-
ple laugh on stage,” Crandall
PEMBROKE
Sam Barton plays Horton the Elephant, whose journey is central to the story of “Seussical the
Musical” being staged at Pembroke Junior-Senior High School.
said. “I think the cast is great.
Everyone’s doing their best.
It’s pulling together and I’m
very excited to do it.”
Freshman Grace Strassburg
plays JoJo. She described her
character as a “naive, excited
and curious character with a
very big imagination.”
“I didn’t really know much
about ‘Seussical’ before it was
announced this year. I went
on YouTube and I watched a
production of it and I looked at
all the characters with an open
mindset,” she said.
“When I heard JoJo and
Horton singing this one ballad
called ‘Alone in the Universe,’
that’s when I knew I wanted to
be JoJo.”
Strassburg, 14, said JoJo is
very much like she was as a
child — not just because of her
imaginatin, but also because
she’s always making new
friends and floating from one
thing to the next without really
knowing where she is going.
The Pembroke freshman
said she’s been in musicals
since third grade.
“I really like getting to re-
ally connect with the character
and make it your own and I
love that I get to put my voice
into this character,” she said.
Strassburg said putting on
THE DAILY NEWS
SHOWTIME
productions at a small school
is tricky, but added, “We do
have talent, even though we’re
a small school. I think that
we’ve really been able to pull
it off.”
Director Andy Clark said he
started looking for a musical
last May.
“I just started searching and
listening to music. I just found
‘Seussical’ and loved the story,
loved the music and at that
moment, I knew the musical
was the show for Pembroke,”
he said. “We needed some-
thing fun. Because of COVID,
we didn’t get to do a show last
year. It was just time to make
people smile, make people feel
good about life. This is a fun,
feel-good kind of show.”
Despite the fun, rehearsals
have had their challenges, the
director said.
“We had some cast mem-
bers in quarantine. That elimi-
nated them from about a week
and a half or rehearsals,” Clark
said. “We’re a small school,
so I have many athletes in the
cast. They would be missing
for games or practices. they’d
come in late. They’d leave ear-
ly. It has been a challenge get-
ting everybody together all at
the same time. Most talented
kids do everything.”
MARK GUTMAN/DAILY NEWS
MARK GUTMAN/DAILY NEWS
What can the audience ex-
pect to get from this show?
“As Dr. Seuss said, ‘A per-
son’s a person, no matter how
small. Every person matters,”
Clark said. “That’s the story of
‘Seussical.’ Believe in yourself.
Be true to yourself and respect
others. It’s a great message.”
There are 43 in the cast. Oth-
er cast members include Sam
Burton as Horton, Leah Filter
as Gertrude, Lindsay Zanghi
as Mayzie, Madison Chatley
as Sour Kangaroo, Alice String-
ham as Little Kauga, Rowen
Costich as Mayor and Ainsley
Czechowicz as Mayor’s Wife.
“These kids have been awe-
some,” Clark said. “They’ve
accepted their roles. When
they’re not onstage, they’re
hanging out with their friends.
Then, when it’s time to come
onstage, they magically ap-
pear.”
A Quick Look
WHAT: “Seussical the Musical.”
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m.
and 7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Pembroke Junior-Senior
High School auditorium, 8750
Alleghany Rd, Corfu.
TICKETS: $12 for general
admission, $10 for students
in kindergarten through 12th
grade. Available at the door.
LIMA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
A contemporary
take on a classic
Special to The Daily News
The Lima Christian School Drama Club will present “Rodgers
and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” on stage at Honeoye Falls-Lima
Central School this weekend.
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. March 11 and 12, and
2 p.m. March 12 in the Honeoye Falls-Lima High School Audito-
rium, 83 East St., Honeoye Falls.
The classic fairy tale features charming updates intended to
bring new life to the story of a young woman forced into ser-
vitude who dreams of – and achieves – a better life. Cinderella
learns that she can change the world she lives in and that when
you are loved, you can be whatever you want to be.
“We wanted to produce a show that would make people
smile,” said director Bethany Warsaw. “People love these classic
fairy tales because they remind us of our childhood, when life
seemed simple, and magic was possible.”
“Cinderella,” she said, “speaks to all walks of life. It appeals
to anyone who has wished to be someone else, felt mistreated,
chased a dream, wished for a new life, or stood up to adversity.”
“When you know you are loved and accepted for who you
truly are, you truly can do things you thought were impossible,”
Warsaw said.
Originally presented on television in 1957 starring Julie
Andrews, “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” was twice
remade for television, first in 1965 for Lesley Ann Warren and
again in 1997, featuring Brandy and Whitney Houston. The
original Broadway production of “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s
Cinderella” opened in 2013 and features some of Rodgers and
Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Lit-
tle Corner,” “Impossible,” and “Ten Minutes Ago.”
Tickets, which cost $8 for adults and $6 for students, are avail-
able at the Lima Christian School office, 1574 Rochester St., Li-
ma, at the door, and online at www.seatyourself.biz/limachris-
tian.
At this time, masks are optional in the HF-L school building.
There will be some socially-distanced sections for people wish-
ing to remain distant from others.
LIMA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPH LIMA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPH
Lima Christian School senior Lima Christian School senior
Kaitlyn Sanders appears as Kate Somers plays Gabrielle,
Madame, the stepmother, in one of the stepsisters, in
“Cinderella.” “Cinderella.”
HOLLEY
‘Footloose’ cast cuts
loose with film’s star
By SCOTT DESMIT
sdesmit@batavianews.com
HOLLEY – Dustin Gardner noticed the cast and crew of Holley
High School’s upcoming musical “Footloose” were a bit off last
week.
He decided to give them a much-needed spark.
“I was needing to find something to pump the kids up a bit before
our big weekend of the show,” said Gardner, who is co-directing.
“They were getting a bit tired, understandably so. I was brainstorm-
ing and thought ‘How cool would it be to hear from someone who
has done this show before?!’ ”
He follows Ziah Colon on social media. She played Rusty in the
2011 film version of the play, itself an adaptation of the 1984 movie.
He sent her a message.
And on Friday afternoon in the school auditorium, there she ap-
peared, larger-than-life.
Literally.
Colon, who also has had parts in “NCIS” and “Joyful Noise,” used
Zoom to send out a message encouraging the students to pick it up
and make each character their own.
“She was very kind and willing to chat with the cast and crew,”
Gardner said.
“Footloose” is the story of Ren McCormack, a teen boy who
moves with his mother from Chicago to a small Texas town where
he finds himself at odds with most of the town, including a reverend
who has convinced the town to outlaw dancing.
Holley’s production has 30 cast members and 15 in the crew.
Gardner said “Footloose” was a perfect fit.
“It has been so fun,” he said. “Tiring and stressful at times, but
very fun! It’s a bit more modern, in terms of musicals, so the kids
were able to get into it more. The setting of the show is also very sim-
ilar to Holley, so I think it made it easier for the kids to get comfort-
able. It also made it easier for costumes because all the kids already
owned flannels!”
Gardner is hoping for a big turnout for the school’s first musical
since COVID hit in March 2020. “I think the audience can expect
to laugh,” he said. “I think the laughing is needed after having no
shows for two years due to COVID. It’ll feel good to put smiles on
people’s faces. There are also a lot of familiar songs featured in the
musical, so I expect some to sing along, too.”
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7 p.m.
Saturday in the middle/high school auditorium. Tickets,which cost
$7, can be bought at showtix4u.com or at the door.)

IT’S
Area high school students set to take the stage
A schedule of high school pro-
ductions across Genesee, Liv-
ingston, Orleans and Wyoming
counties (arranged by date):
March 10-12
Le Roy: “Newsies.” 7 p.m.
nightly in the Junior-Senior
High School Auditorium, 9300
South Street Rd., Le Roy. Tick-
ets, in advance, are $10 for
adults, and $8 for seniors and
students. At the door, tickets
are $15 for adults and $10 for
students and seniors. Available
online at https://bit.ly/LRNews-
iesLive. Virtual performances
are also scheduled for 7 p.m.
March 18 and 19. For ticket
information, go to https://bit.
ly/LRNewsiesVirtual
March 11-12
Holley: “Footloose.” 7 p.m.
March 11 and 12, and 2 p.m.
March 12 in the Holley Middle
School-High School Auditorium,
16880 Lynch Rd, Holley. Tick-
ets, which cost $7, are avail-
able online at showtix4u.com.
Keshequa: “Shrek the Musical,
Jr.” 7 p.m. March 11 and 12,
and 1 p.m. March 12 at Kes-
hequa High School Auditorium,
13 Mill St., Nunda. Tickets
available at the door or from
any show member.
Lima Christian School: “Rodgers
and Hammerstein’s Cinder-
ella.” 7 p.m. March 11 and
12, and 2 p.m. March 12 in
the Honeoye Falls-Lima High
School Auditorium, 83 East St.,
Honeoye Falls. Tickets, which
cost $8 for adults and $6 for
students, are available at the
Lima Christian School office,
1574 Rochester St., Lima, at
the door, and online at www.
seatyourself.biz/limachristian.
At this time, masks are option-
al in the HF-L school building.
There will be some socially-
distanced sections for people
wishing to remain distant from
others.
Pavilion: “High School Musi-
cal 2.” 7 p.m. March 11, and
2 p.m. March 12 at the high
school, 7014 Big Tree Rd,
Pavilion. Tickets available at
the door.
Pembroke: “Seussical The Musi-
cal.” 7 p.m. March 11 and
12, and 2 p.m. March 12 in
the Pembroke Junior-Senior
Spring Musicals
SCHOOL THEATER SPOTLIGHT
Pembroke Jr/Sr High School Presents
March 11th @ 7pm, March 12th @ 2pm & 7pm
General Admission $12, Students $10, Kids 4 & Under FREE
Tickets can be purchased from any
cast member or at the door!
Letchworth Jr/Sr Drama Club is producing
in the
Charles Little Auditorium at Letchworth Central School
Tickets will be sold at the door each day of the event
“Newsies” opens tonight at Le Roy Junior-Senior High School, 9300 South Street Rd., Le Roy. The musical is inspired by the real-life
1899 Newsboys Strike in New York City. Cast members include, from left, Allison Privatera, Jackson Cain, Nate Yauchzee and Carter Fix
High School Auditorium, 8750
Alleghany Rd, Corfu. Tickets
are $12 for general admission,
$10 for students, and free for
children age 4 and younger.
Available from any cast mem-
ber or at the door. For help with
tickets, email Nina Komoskin-
ski at ckomosinski@pembroke-
csd.org.
Perry: “Pippin.” 7 p.m. March
11 and 12 in the Perry High
School Auditorium, 33 Watkins
Ave., Perry. Tickets are $15
each or $10 each for groups
of four or more. Available from
the school box office, which
is open from noon to 3 p.m.
weekdays, by calling (585) 237-
0270 ext. 1011, or by sending
an email for ticket reservations
to dramaclub@perry.k12.ny.us.
March 18 & 19
at 7:30 pm
& March 20
at 2 pm
Ticket prices are
$8 for adults,
& $7 for students
and senior citizens
THE DAILY NEWS
SHOWTIME
March 11-13
Avon: “Big Fish.” 7 p.m. March
11 to 13, and 2 p.m. March 13
in the Avon Middle-High School
Auditorium, 191 Clinton St.,
Avon. Tickets are $12 each.
March 17-19
Honeoye Falls-Lima: “Les Miser-
ables.” 7:30 p.m. nightly, and
2 p.m. March 19 in the district
auditorium, 20 Church St., Hon-
eoye Falls. Tickets are $12 for
adults, $10 for students. Avail-
able online at seatyourself.biz/
hflcsd or via email to the box
office at hflboxoffice.gmail.com
Livonia: “All Shook Up.” 7 p.m.
nightly in Livonia High School
Franklin Auditorium, 2 Bulldog
Blvd., Livonia. Tickets are $12
for adults, $10 for seniors
and students, and $20 for the
The Notre Dame Drama Club Presents:
March 25 & 26 at 7pm
March 27 Matinee at 2pm
73 Union St., Batavia
$
10 per person at the door (children under 3 FREE)
The BHS Production Club PROUDLY PRESENTS
March 18th & 19th 2022 @ 7 PM
March 20th 2022 @ 2 PM
Batavia High School Auditorium
Momma Mia is produced through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI)
All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com
livestream. Ticket information
is available online at https://
livonia.booktix.com/ . Tickets
will also be available at the
door until sold out.
March 18-19
Geneseo: “The 25th annual
Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
7 p.m. March 18 and 19, and
2 p.m. March 19 in the school
auditorium, 4050 Avon Gen-
eseo Rd., Geneseo. Tickets are
$50 for sponsor patron, $25
for support patron, $15 for gen-
eral patron, $10 for an adults,
and $8 for a student or senior.
Kendall: “Freaky Friday.” 7 p.m.
March 18 and 19, and 2 p.m.
March 29 in the school audito-
rium, 1932 Kendall Rd., Kend-
all. Tickets, which cost $5, are
available with cash or check
at the main office of Kendall
MARK GUTMAN/DAILY NEWS
Junior-Senior High School or at
the door.
March 18-20
Batavia: “Mama Mia.” 7 p.m.
March 18 and 19, and 2 p.m.
March 20 in the high school
auditorium, 260 State St.,
Batavia. Tickets are $10 in
advance; available online at
www.showtix4u.com. At the
door, tickets are $12 for adults
and $10 for students and
seniors.
Letchworth: “Disney’s High
School Musical.” 7:30 p.m.
March 18 and 19, and 2 p.m.
March 20 in the school audito-
rium, 5550 School Rd., Gaines-
ville. Tickets, which cost $8 for
adults and $7 for students and
seniors, will be sold at the door
each day of the show.
BASED ON THE DREAMWORKS ANIMATION MOTION PICTURE AND THE BOOK BY WILLIAM STEIG
MARCH 11
7PM
BOOKS AND
LYRICS BY:
DAVID LINDSAY
ABAIRE
KESHEQUA CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
in the Auditorium @ 13 Mill St, Nunda
Tickets available at the door or from any show member.
ORIGINALLY PRODUCED ON BROADWAY BY DREAMWORKS THEATRICALS AND NEAL STREET PRODUCTIONS
Thursday, March 10, 2022 A7
March 19-20
Elba: “Annie.” 7 p.m. March 19
and 20, and 2 p.m. March 20
at the school, 57 South Main
St., Elba. Tickets are $10 for
adults, $5 for students, and
free for kids younger than 12
years old.
March 24-26
Dansville: “Disney’s The Little
Mermaid.” 7 p.m. nightly in the
high school auditorium, 282
Main St., Dansville. Tickets,
which cost $12 for adults and
$10 for students, are available
online at https://www.show-
tix4u.com.
March 25-26
Oakfield-Alabama: “Seussical
The Musical.” 7 p.m. March
25, and 2 p.m. March 26 at
the school, 7001 Lewiston Rd.,
Oakfield. Tickets are $10 for
adults and $7 for students.
Children younger than 5 years
old will be admitted for free.
March 25-27
Caledonia-Mumford: “You’re a
Good Man, Charlie Brown.” 7
p.m. March 25 and 26, and 2
p.m. March 26 and 27 in the
Middle-High School Auditorium,
99 North St., Caledonia. Tick-
ets, which cost $10 for general
admission and $8 for students
and seniors, are available by
calling the district office at
(585) 538-3400.
Notre Dame High School: “Cin-
derella.” 7 p.m. March 25 and
26, and 2 p.m. March 27 at
the school, 73 Union St., Bata-
via. Tickets are $10 (free for
children younger than 3 years
old); available at the door.
April 1-2
Albion: “Shrek.” 7 p.m. April 1
and 2, and noon April 2 at the
school, 254-324 East Ave.,
Albion. Tickets available by call-
ing the main office of the high
school and at the door. Masks
are required.
Warsaw: “Disney’s The Little
Mermaid.” 7 p.m. April 1 and
2 and 1 p.m. April 2 in the
Warsaw Middle-High School
Auditorium, 81 West Court St.,
Warsaw. Tickets are $7 for gen-
eral admission.
TICKETS: $8
MARCH 12
1PM
& 7PM
MUSIC BY:
JEANINE
TESORI
JR.
A8 Thursday, March 10, 2022 The DAILY News

IT’S SHOWTIME
AVON PAVILION

Kids will be kids

in ‘HSM 2’
By BRIAN QUINN
bquinn@batavianews.com
PAVILION — Pavilion
Central School District’s
students will put on a “light-
hearted” show for their au-
dience this Friday and Sat-
urday when “High School
Musical 2” takes the stage.
“It’s just about kids be-
ing kids. There’s a lot to of-
fer for people of all ages,”
Beth Funderburk, Middle
School-High School mu-
sic teacher and co-director
with Eric Traugott, said.
“The kids are having a great
time onstage. It’s fun to
watch.
Funderburk said due to
the COVID-19 pandemic,
there hasn’t been a lot of
theater for the last couple of
years.
“We just want people to
come out and see the show.
It’s got some comedy for
MARGRET LEE/LIVINGSTON COUNTY NEWS
the younger kids ... It’s got
The characters of “Big Fish” at Avon Central School includes a 7-foot-tall giant and other mysterious players from the stories told to
funny high school-type re-
Will Blum (Brendan Miron, center) by his father.
lationships that are very ac-
despite their schedules,
Funderburk said.
Among the cast are senior
Ella Manurung, playing Ga-
briella; senior Peyton Johns,
playing Sharpay; senior
Maxwell Whalen, playing
Mr. Fulton; junior Elijah
Webster, playing Chad; ju-
nior Evelyn Northrup, play-
ing Martha.
“She’s an exceptional ju-
nior. She’s been the founda-
tion for the show. Her full
heart is in the show,” Fun-
derburk said of Northrup.
“She really sets a good ex-
ample for everyone else —
very consistent. We’re really
looking to her for next year.
She’s going to knock it out of
the park.”
One of the younger cast
members is Mykel Burger,
playing Zeke.
“We also have a sixth-
grader who has met all the
demands of the high school
show without breaking a

‘Big Fish’ is a whopper

curate,” she said.
There will be 18 students
in the show, the director
said. Rehearsals have been
going on for about eight
sweat,” Funderburk said.
“Typically, it would be a se-
nior high show. He works re-
ally hard, he knew his lines
very early on. He’s a team

of an adventure tale
weeks and will continue un-
til Friday.
“It’s primarily senior
high, and then we have a
couple of sixth-graders that
joined us, too,” she said.
By MARGRET LEE remember seeing the presenta- “It’s been going great. The
player. He adds some com-
edy to sometimes stressful
rehearsals.”
A Quick Look
WHAT: “High School Musi-

mlee@livingstonnews.com
Students at the Avon Central
School District are taking on the
wondrous stories of the Bloom
‘
... the show has a lot of powerful emotions tions that our theater depart-
ment gives during the school
and a lot of acting – it’s not just song and dance. day where they show a couple
scenes from the shows. I really
It has a lot of fun, but also has a lot of serious liked just seeing everyone sing
kids are really go-getters.
They’ve been working hard.
It’s been hard because
many of them don’t have
cal 2.”
WHEN: Scheduled for 7 p.m.
Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Pavilion Central

family through the production of
“Big Fish.”
The musical, on stage this
weekend, tells the story of two
men: Edward Bloom, an older
man who was once a traveling
salesman with incredible tales of
his adventures, and his son Will
(played by Brendan Miron and
Michael Cullinan, respectively).
As Edward is facing medical
challenges, Will, about to have
a child of his own, is seeking the
truth in his father’s stories.
“I’m really loving the show, it
has a lot of powerful emotions
and a lot of acting – it’s not just
song and dance. It has a lot of fun
but also has a lot of serious mo-
ments. It requires a lot from the
kids and they’re doing a great
job,” said Stephanie Campbell,
the show’s artistic director.
Edward’s wild stories are
thrilling to everyone around
him, especially his wife, Sandra
(played by Gabrielle Koehler),
who makes an appearance in
many of the stories. Will’s new
bride, Josephine (played by
Katherine Krasinski), encour-
ages him to find the meaning
behind his father’s stories, rather
than the truth.
As Will navigates through the
stories of his father encountering
a Witch (Rose Khoobyar), a Giant
moments. It requires a lot from the kids.
Stephanie Campbell
artistic director of Avon Central School’s production of “Big Fish”
(Sean Miron), the ringmaster
of a circus (Brian Lewis), a Mer-
maid (Olivia Newman), and the
townsfolk from Ashton, where
Edward grew up, the stories
meet as Will discovers the secret
his father never revealed.
“We have a lot of community
support, the parents that come
out and volunteer their time to
help with building sets, a bunch
of the kids have come out to help
build sets, they’re not just on
stage,” said Campbell. “We’ve
really grown into a wonderful
community in that sense, I don’t
know if it’s unique but it’s a spe-
cial part of Avon.”
The cast of “Big Fish” spans
grades five through 12 and offers
an array of roles for students –
from a 7-foot-tall giant to a mys-
terious witch and a circus ring-
master. The show also contains
200 costume changes to bring
the characters to life.
Many of the seniors in the
show are no strangers to the
spotlight, having participated in
the drama club for many years.
’
Brendan Miron, playing Ed-
ward Bloom, is a senior who has
been in the drama club for eight
years, since 5th grade. He played
Sebastion in Avon’s production
of “Disney’s The Little Mer-
maid,” appearing alongside his
“Big Fish” co-star Michael Cul-
linan, who played Prince Eric.
“It’s a very fun role, I’m on the
stage a lot,” said Miron.
Cullinan, also a senior, has
been participating in theater
since fourth grade. He moved
to Avon in seventh grade and
jumped right into drama club.
“The stories are Edwards, but
the real story happening is with
me [Michael playing Will] but
I like how it’s telling his and my
story at the same time,” said Cul-
linan, noting the show is difficult
with its intense acting demands
compared to other shows he has
done. Still, he said, he enjoyed
the challenge.
Gabrielle Koehler, playing Ed-
ward’s wife Sandra, remembers
what drew her to get involved
in drama club six years ago: “I
experience, because we’ve School auditorium, 7014
and dance, I thought it was really missed two years of shows.” Big Tree Rd., Pavilion
cool. I like how they expressed Many of the perform-
themselves.” ADMISSION: A $6 to 8 per
ers are involved in sports person requested dona-
Kimberly Miron started out
or other activities, or have
eight years ago as a parent vol- tion to benefit the Pavilion
a job, but they’ve been Central School Production
unteer and is now the backstage
director of the show. good at making rehearsals Fund.
“We have a very talented
group of seniors, and the young-
er kids coming up are filling
those shoes,” she said. “It’s been
so fun to watch them grow to
where they are now.”
The musical “Big Fish” is writ-
ten by John August, with music
and lyrics by Andrew Lippa. The
musical is based on Daniel Wal-
lace’s 1998 novel, which was
also adapted by Tim Burton for a
2003 film.
A Quick Look
WHAT: “Big Fish,” a play.
WHERE: Avon Middle School
auditorium, 191 Clinton St.,
Avon.
WHEN: 7 p.m. March 11 and 12,
and 2 p.m. March 13.
TICKETS: $12. Available online
at www.ShowTix4U.com and at
the door. PAVILION CENTRAL SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPH
NOTES: The show is rated Colin McConnell, left, and Peyton Johns share the stage during
PG-13. It is best suited for rehearsal Tuesday for Pavilion Central School’s production of
students in grades five and up, “High School Musical 2.”
and adults.

‘Shrek the Musical’ says to embrace each other’s differences
By BRENDAN MCDONOUGH
bmcdonough@livingstonnews.com
NUNDA – Students at the Kes-
hequa Central School District are
bringing “Shrek” to life in their an-
nual musical production.
Performances of “Shrek the Musi-
cal, Jr.” are scheduled for Friday and
Saturday.
“We are doing ‘Junior,’ so instead
of being three hours long it’s about
just over an hour, about an hour and
15 minutes,” said director Cheryl San-
ford, a music teacher at the school.
The musical is adapted from the
2001 animated film – itself an adap-
tation of a 1990 fantasy children’s
picture book by William Steig – the
follows the titular Shrek, an ogre who
finds his swamp overrun by fairy tale
creatures who have been banished
by the corrupt Lord Farquaad, who
aspires to be king. Shrek makes a deal
with Farquaad to regain control of his
swamp in return for rescuing Prin-
cess Fiona, whom Farquaad intends
to marry. With the help of Donkey,
Shrek embarks on his quest only to
fall in love with the princess, who is
hiding a secret that will change his life
forever.
The characters are the same for
the musical, though in this version
Sanford said there is a different spin
to the story line.
“It falls along the lines of the movie
but it starts earlier, it starts when
Sherk is 7 years-old and his parents
are celebrating his birthday.
When you get to the Fiona part,
it starts with 7 year old Fiona, then
teenage Fiona and then the adult
Fiona who is about 20,” said Sanford.
KESHEQUA
Sanford said there is also a message
that she hopes people watching the
production will take to heart.
“It is kind of an anthem for people
that might feel like outsiders or like
they do not belong. As I tell my kids in
classes, if you look around the room
there is no two people alike, and I say
it is OK to be different,” said Sanford.
It is a message that she hopes kids
of all ages will hear loud and clear.
“The reason that we picked a junior
play is we are hoping to get younger
kids with their parents coming in,”
Sanford said, noting that parents are
less likely to bring younger kids to a
full-length show because it is so long.
Sanford said “Shrek Jr.” is a musical
that people of all ages can enjoy.
“We really want to kind of broaden
our horizons amongst all ages. We
have grandparents bringing their
grand kids to come see it and some of
the grandparents say, ‘I didn’t think
of that, it would be a great day.’ It is
really for fun and there is a message
and there is some adult humor in it,”
said Sanford.
Katie Murphy, who plays Fiona,
said the show has been a lot of fun,
but acknowledges that, this being her
first lead role, it has also been a bit
nerve wracking.
“I have been in plays before but
this is my first actual play and having
a bigger part. I had a bunch of speak-
ing parts in the last play but singing
in front of everyone is a little bit nerve
racking,” she said, though she is con-
fident that all will go well.
Senior Bethany Bird has three dif-
ferent roles – Pinocchio, a knight and
a story teller.
“It is a funny movie and after being
in the last play and I have not done
one in a couple of years, I really en-
joyed it and I wanted to be in it again,”
Bird said. “This one has a lot more
singing and I am enjoying the Pinoc-
chio part because I get to do a funny
voice and I really like that.”
A Quick Look
WHAT: “Shrek, the Musical, Jr.”
WHEN: 7 p.m. March 11 and 12, 1
p.m. March 12.
WHERE: Keshequa Central School, 11
Mill St., Nunda.
TICKETS: $8 at the door or from a
cast member.
NOTES: Masks are required for any-
one wanting to see the show.