General News: Godspell opens Friday Night
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| The cast of Godspell. |
July 28, 2008
Frim Bob Curtis, Producer
This summer, the Robert W. Souza Scholarship for the Performing Arts will offer its latest presentation, Godspell, under the summer stars at the Palaia Vineyard’s outdoor stage in Highland Mills.
Based largely on the Gospel of Matthew, Godspell (an archaic spelling of the word “gospel”) is an early 1970’s musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It originally opened off Broadway in 1971, later moved to Broadway, and has since been produced by numerous touring companies and in multiple revivals. Several cast albums have been released over the years, and one of its songs, "Day By Day," reached #13 on the Billboard pop singles chart in the summer of 1972.
The young cast of this latest Souza musical includes Dan Purcell, Sara Johnson, Sarah Fields*, Angela Palaggi, Jen Titus, Chris Jones, Adam LaSalle*, Tim Purcell, Dom Pascullo, Lissette Kortright, and Olivia Melendez.
As to the production crew for this show, Souza Committee member Maureen Burt is directing, with Len Klopchin as assistant director. Tony Ravinsky is technical director, Chris Ehlers* is musical accompanist, and Steven Wing is vocal director. Souza chairman Bob Curtis is producing, while winery owner and confirmed theater junkie Jan Palaggi will handle all the logistics at the Palaia site, where theatergoers will be able to sip some local vino between acts.
Director Maureen Burt, notes: “I'm pleased that we're doing a summer show, because I love working with these young people. They are all so kind, giving, caring, and very talented.” Maureen, who also directs musicals at the Monroe-Woodbury Middle School where she teaches, continues, “I'm also thrilled to be meeting and working with such a great group of people at the Palaia Winery, who are generous beyond compare. And finally, I’m happy that we are able to donate the proceeds of this wonderful production to such a worthy scholarship fund.”
Producer Bob Curtis notes that the Souza Scholarship was established 28 years ago in memory of Bob Souza, a beloved musician and music teacher in the Monroe-Woodbury School District. During fourteen years at M-W, Souza served as high school and middle school stage band director, and District Music Coordinator. He also arranged and conducted music for district scholarship productions and student musicals. Souza awards are made annually to worthy Monroe-Woodbury students in grades 7 to 12. To date, more than $200,000 in scholarships have already been awarded to local students.
The show is scheduled for four performances, Thursday, July 31; Friday, August 1; Saturday, August 2; and Sunday, August 3. All shows begin at 7 p.m. – rain dates may be scheduled if needed. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. For more information about Souza’s Godspell performances and tickets, call (845) 928-2613.
* Denotes Souza Scholarship Award winners
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