Belmont High School Performing Arts Company Ends the School Year with TWO Shows On Friday Over The Weekend

Photo: Posters for both shows this weekend

As the days in the school year have entered single digits, the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company is ending it was a bang with two shows, one live and the other virtual.

  • Friday, June 11: A LIVE improv show outdoors
  • Saturday/Sunday, June 12-13: The Streaming Premiere of Some Enchanted Evening 

Details about both shows below and at bhs-pac.org

OUTDOOR IMPROV SHOW

The PAC Improv Troupe is performing a full show of our favorite games and scenes. Fresh off the success of our May Show, we’ll be back at Clay Pit Pond – near the Veteran’s Memorial at the corner of Underwood – with more improvisers, more games and more laughs. Friday, June 11 at 6:30 p.m.

FREE for everyone, registration/sign up ahead of time requested. Sign up at http://bhs-pac.org/improv-show

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING

The PAC’s Spring Musical is a celebration of the Golden Age of Musical Theater.  A collection of songs and scenes from classic musicals, the production showcases the work of our talented student performers and crew.

This production honors great composers, iconic shows and groundbreaking work, including songs from shows that you aren’t likely to see full productions of on the PAC stage. We’re thrilled to give our students and audiences the opportunity to experience this material.

The show is free to watch, but donations are encouraged.

  • Watch on the PAC Website (bhs-pac.org). The show premieres online June 12 at 7 p.m.
  • The show will also air on Belmont Media Center TV (Comcast Ch 96/Verizon Ch 30) on Saturday, June 12, and Sunday, June 13 at 7 PM.

Friday’s Online Trivia Night To Benefit Belmont High’s Performing Arts Company

Photo: This year’s BHS-PAC Trivia Night poster

There’s nothing trivial about Trivia Night being held this Friday by the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company.

Last year the popular event, hosted by Parents of Performing Arts Students (PATRONS), raised over $3,500 to support the PAC, with the funds going toward expenses such as props, costumes, lighting and sound equipment, theater workshops, student awards, and scholarships.

This year’s edition takes place, once again, online this Friday, March 12, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Individual tickets are $15, and patrons can join teams of up to eight people.

Because there hasn’t been much opportunity for students to socialize, PATRONS is following up the Friday night adults-only competition with a Saturday night, March 13 trivia event just for students. While purchasing tickets, donors will have the option to sponsor a student participant with a $10 donation.

“Trivia Night is always a lot of fun,” said Carolyn Boyle, co-president of PATRONS. “Supporting theater during a pandemic is hard, but the kids work really hard to produce quality shows and it’s worth it. We’re excited that the online format will allow friends and relatives who don’t live in Belmont to participate.” Boyle noted that director Ezra Flam and his team of trivia ringers usually dominate the night.

Sign up at the Performing Arts Company website, www.bhs-pac.org. Top finishers will receive prizes donated by local businesses along with year long bragging rights.

Broadway Night Is Here! Streaming Online This Weekend

The Performing Arts Company’s annual musical theater cabaret known as Broadway Night goes virtual in 2020. Filmed live following safety guidelines developed with Belmont School Administrators and the Town’s Health Department, the show will begin streaming online this weekend.

Broadway Night will premiere Friday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. on the Performing Arts Company’s Website (bhs-pac.org), and air on Belmont Media Center TV (Comcast Ch. 9, Verizon Ch 29).

Performances of “Broadway Night” by the Belmont High School’s Performing Arts Company.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1e_Lp0YMeM2-E_WQQB1ZdRqG691jcZVHN

The show will have a second airing on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. After this weekends, performances will be available online to stream any time.

Broadway Night is the PAC’s annual Musical Theater Cabaret, which kicks off the season. Students perform classic show tunes and contemporary work from new musical theater composers in an evening of song, dance and storytelling. ​

Performances of “Broadway Night” by the Belmont High School’s Performing Arts Company.

Each year the show features more than 20 solo, duet and group songs, with a mix of humor, heart, romance and high-energy fun, plus a dance number, choreographed by the PAC Musical Choreographer Jenny Lifson and an all-freshman number directed by upperclassmen.

This year we have added an all-senior dance, an all-senior song and two other group numbers directed by upperclassmen. In addition, Tech Crew has created outdoor theater, complete with lighting and sound, and is learning video recording skills to capture to largest Broadway Night the PAC has ever produced.

​Broadway Night represents the core mission of the PAC, with an emphasis on showcasing student work. The performers have selected, staged and rehearsed the songs almost entirely on their own, with just a small amount of guidance from Ms. Lifson. In addition, the tech is done entirely by students, and four group numbers were directed by students.

Broadway Night is available to watch online for free, but all of the lighting, sound, scenery and video costs of the show are supported by donations. Audience members are encouraged to make a donation on the PAC website to support this show and future 2020-21 productions.

Performing Arts Company Presents ‘Shrek The Musical’

Photo: The poster for Shrek The Musical by the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company.

The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company 2020 annual spring musical is Shrek The Musical.

Shrek is the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand… and his name is Shrek.

Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure, bringing all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage, with music by Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline, or Change) and book by David Lindsay-Abaire.

Performances will take place in the Belmont High School auditorium on:

  • THURSDAY, MARCH 19 at 7 p.m.
  • FRIDAY, MARCH 20 at 7 p.m.
  • SATURDAY, MARCH 21 at 2 p.m and 7 p.m.
TICKET INFO: 
  • ADULTS: $12 in advance, $15 at the door
  • STUDENTS/CHILDREN: $10

WHERE TO GET TICKETS:

Tickets are now on sale online and at Champions Sporting Goods in Belmont Center.

More information at bhs-pac.org

‘All Animals Are Equal …’ BHS PAC’s ‘Animal Farm’ In Performance Nov. 7-9

Photo: Poster for the play

You may have read it, you certainly have heard about it and we may be living it. Now is your chance to see it on stage as the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company presents an adaptation of George Orwell’s story “Animal Farm” in three performances Nov. 7-9 at 7 p.m. at the Belmont High School auditorium.

Tickets are:

  • Adults: $12 advance sale/$15 at the door.
  • Children/students: $5 Thursday/$10 Friday and Saturday
  • Belmont High Students: $5.

Tickets are available at Champions Sports in Belmont Center or online at bhs-pac.org

From an allegorical novella by George Orwell (Nineteen Eighty-Four) Animal Farm demonstrates that best intentions could lead to bad consequences: after staging a successful revolution against their human masters, a group of farm animals establishes a communal society, only to see it devolve into the corrupt regime of a power-hungry dictator.

Remember: “All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.”

The play resonates with many of the issues the world faces today: the rise of totalitarianism and demagoguery, massive wealth inequality, gaslighting propaganda and fake news, cults of popularity disguised as populism, and the use of violence to solve problems. But the play grounds these topics in a vivid immediate reality. And while the book was clearly an allegory about the rise of Stalinism when it was originally written, the story feels eerily contemporary.

The production does not attempt to shoehorn the play into one particular interpretation or historical setting, according to PAC’s director Ezra Flam.

“The surprise of the show is not what happens, but how you get there,” noted Flam. How do good people let bad things happen – and even participate in making decisions that go against their own interests, challenge their self-concepts, or actually violate their memories and their grip on reality?

The play takes place on the Manor farm, where the alcoholic human farmer Mr. Jones has been mistreating the animals and mismanaging the farm. At the urging of Old Major, a boar held in high esteem by the animals, the residents of the farm take matters into their own hands, oust Mr. Jones, and rename the farm “Animal Farm.” Led by two young pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, the new community establishes a society built on egalitarian principles, universal education, and long-missing economic efficiency.

But soon the elation of their utopia gives way to doctrinal squabbles, propaganda fights, and vicious power plays, and everyone scrambles to choose the right side or be swept away by the tide of corruption growing in the center of their idyllic community.

By the end of the play, one of the early leaders has been banished, kangaroo courts have sent many innocent people to their deaths, and the farm has turned out worse than it ever was under the misguided administration of the humans.

In his notes of the show. Flam said this production showcases what the Performing Arts Company does best: give actors and stage crew the chance to learn about theater by creating a fully realized production.

Making the show happen has engaged the efforts of more than just the cast of 26 actors. More than 75 students are part of the backstage crew: building and painting scenery, making costumes, creating lighting and sound effects, constructing props and working as production assistants.

But Animal Farm has called on even more than the usual set of skills.

The actors and crew must tell a story that exists on multiple levels, said Flam. The cast must tell a deeply allegorical story that decries totalitarianism both in its Stalinist expression but which echoes into the current day. For example, they were both schooled in Soviet history and watched videos of Brexit arguments in Parliament to prepare for their roles.)

They must enact vicious moment-by-moment power plays, oppression, and experiences of terror, all while thoroughly respecting their fellow actors. And they must tell this harrowing story in the guise of farm animals – and not as they might portray a cow in the stable of a Christmas play, but in a way that captures the nuances of animal characteristics without devolving into caricature.

“They can’t just play a horse like you might in fourth grade,” Flam explains. “The actors need to do a play that tells a story on the surface but underneath tells deeper stories.” Whether pig, sheep, or horse, the actors must tell a profoundly human story.

Likewise, the production crew has worked diligently to help create the world of the story. The students on the costumes crew, under the guidance of Costume Designer Lila West and in conjunction with the actors themselves, have created a wealth of costumes that evoke rather than explicitly depict animals. Through costume pieces and improvised movement, the cast and crew create a world of animals without yielding to literal representation.

Meanwhile, the collaborative efforts of the cast and student set crew, led by Scenic Designer Anna Moss and Technical Director Ian O’Malley, have produced a set that evokes a farm but allows the audience to grasp the timeless themes of the story.

BHS PAC’s ‘Little Shop’ Takes Home Two Honors At State School Musical Awards

Photo: Sammy Haines (middle) with cast mates at the MET Musical Theater Awards on Monday, June 10.

The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company production of Little Shop of Horrors took home two awards at the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild’s annual MET Musical Theater Awards held on Monday, June 10.

Best Lead Actor: Sammy Haines as Seymour Krelborn. Haines also performed at the ceremony as one of the top finalists for this year’s Massachusetts “Jimmy” Awards.

Best Choral Ensemble

“Both of these awards, and the nominations are an honor and a credit to the hard work of the Performing Arts Company students and staff,” said Ezra Flam, Belmont High School Theater Specialist and Performing Arts Company Producer/Director

In addition to the awards, the PAC was recognized as a nominee in the categories of Lighting Design, Scenic Design, Sound Design, Student Pit Orchestra, Dance Ensemble and Technical Crew.

Belmont High’s ‘Little Shop’ Secure Multiple Nominations For State Theater Awards

Photo: The poster.

Feed me those nominations, Seymour!

The Belmont High School Performing Arts Company production of “Little Shop of Horrors” was nominated for a slew of awards by the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild which announced nominations for their annual MET Musical Theater Awards last week.

“A huge congratulations goes first and foremost to the entire student cast and crew of the show,” said Ezra Flam, Performing Arts Company’s Producer/Director.

Forty-nine High Schools across the state submitted productions for consideration this year which were seen by three adjudicators who scored the shows in a number of categories. In each category, the five or six highest scoring productions or individuals were nominated for their work.

The show was nominated for:

• Best Lighting Design

• Best Scenic Design

• Best Sound Design

• Best Orchestra

• Best Dance Ensemble

• Best Choral Ensemble

• Best Technical Crew

• Best Lead Actor: Sammy Haines as Seymour Krelborn

“The range of categories in which we were nominated encompasses the work of virtually every student involved in the show.  It’s a testament to the hard work of all of our students who put so much of their time, energy and passion into the show,” said Flam, who congratulated several staff members and students “whose work with the PAC is invaluable.”

Anastasia Elliot, Vocal Director

Jenny Lifson, Choreographer

Arto Asadoorian, Pit Band Director

Chris Fournier, Lighting Designer

Anna Moss and Ian O’Malley, Set Design and Technical Direction

Lila West, Costume Designer

Christin Rills, Puppet Coordinator

Sophia Shen ’19 Lights Crew Chief

Molly Annus ’20, Neal Lonergan ’20, Set Crew Chiefs

Sam Lubarr ’19, Adrine Kaligian ’20, Stage Managers

Eliana Roberts ’19, Sound Crew Chief

“Of course, far more than any public recognition, I am proud of the show and of the work of the Performing Arts Company as a whole,” said Flam.

“I am lucky to work every day with a wonderful group of students and colleagues.”

Belmont High’s Performing Arts Company Ends Season With Two Improv Shows

Photo: The Spring Improv Show will take place on Thursday and Friday

The 35 members of the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s Improv Troup will be taking to the Little Theater stage to close out another season of the school’s award-winning student theatrical group.

Thursday, May 23 and Friday, May 24
7 p.m. in the BHS Little Theater
FREE for Students
$5 for Adults

Come once or on each night: the improv show is guaranteed to be it’s own unique event, featuring games and scenes all made up on the spot based on audience suggestions.

The PAC Improv Troupe performs twice a year with the spring show featuring short form favorites along with long-form structures.

Final Night Of ‘One Acts’ Saturday, May 11, 4 PM, 7 PM

Photo: The poster of the show

The final night of the Belmont High School Performing Arts Company’s student directed “ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL” will be held on Saturday, May 11 with a matinee at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the High School’s Little Theater.

Join BHS-PAC for the annual Student Directed Festival of short plays. Featuring 10-minute plays directed by PAC Members, the One Acts are a mix of comedy, drama and everything in between.

TICKET INFO:
7 PM SHOWS: ADULTS $12 / STUDENTS $5
SATURDAY 4 PM SHOW: ALL TICKETS $5

WHERE TO GET TICKETS:
Tickets are now on sale online and at Champions in Belmont Center

The plays are:

MURDER BY MIDNIGHT By Jeff Goode
Directed by Alice Turner and Grace Christensen
Dick Piston is a world-renowned hotel detective. A guest at the hotel comes to him, distressed by the murder of her husband. Hilarity and chaos ensue.

THE BEST DADDY By Shel Silverstein
Directed by Jacob Makar-Limanov and Sam Lubarr
It’s Lisa’s birthday and she’s getting a pony…
Or is she?

THE WEDDING STORY By Julianne Homokay
Directed by Liz Biondo and Sri Kaushik
An innocent attempt at a bedtime story quickly goes astray after the tale’s characters begin to inform the storyteller that she has got the facts all wrong.

THE MIME CRIME By Jonathan Yukich
Directed by Alyssa Bodmer and Megan Bodmer
A seemingly ordinary mime appears to have a connection with recent mysterious murders in a park.

‘TIS NOT ME SHE LOVES By Steven Stack
Directed by Alyssa Allen and Zoe Armstrong
The feud between the Hatplains and the McCroys has been in a slump for some time now, but perhaps a forbidden love between Romero McCroy and Julia Hatplain can get things going again.

THE GAME By Louise Bryant
Directed by Nathan Miller
Life and Death play a game of dice to decide the fates of two young people.

THE ZERO SUM MIND By Stephen Gregg
Directed By Sammy Haines
A group of people deal with the implications of the revelation that every time they learn something, they forget something else.


Feed Me, Seymour! Belmont High Presents ‘Little Shop Of Horrors’ March 21-23

Photo: Poster for this year’s musicial, Little Shop of Horrors

Don’t feed the plant!

For its spring musical, Belmont High School Performing Arts Company presents “Little Shop of Horrors” produced and directed by Ezra Flam.

Performances will take place on:

  • Thursday, March 21 and Friday, March 22 at 7 p.m. and
  • Saturday, March 23 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets:

  • ADULTS: $15 in advance, $18 at the door
  • CHILDREN/STUDENTS: $10 ($5 tickets for high school students for the Thurusday Mar. 21 show)

Tickets on sale at bhs-pac.org and at Champions in Belmont Center

All performances will be in the Belmont High School auditorium.

An off-Broadway hit 35 years ago which was turned into a cult-favorite rock/horror/comedy film, “Little Shop” has become a contemporary musical theater classic. The show featured a catchy score inspired by 60’s rock, doo-wop and Motown, written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, the duo responsible for “Beauty & the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin.”

The show features a giant, talking plant puppet – operated by three students – a chorus of singing and dancing street Urchins and a crowd-pleasing score, including “Suddenly Seymour,” “Somewhere That’s Green,” the Dentist’s over-the-top rock song (made famous in the movie by Steve Martin) and more.

The big test that faced producer and director Ezra Flam was taking a show that orginiated on a cramped stage Off-Off-Broadway and ramp it up to include a cast of thousands (well, nearly 100.)

“One of the fun challenges of this show has been expanding a show that traditionally has a small cast of nine performers, to work for our cast of almost 90,” he said.

“We have widened to world of the show, expanding the trio of street urchins to ten, adding a group of dancers who serve as a bridge between the gritty world of Skid Row and the fantasy of a glamorous life Seymour finds himself in, and filling out the world of Skid Row. Every character in the show has some part in pushing Seymour down his dark path, culminating in a huge finale song ‘Don’t Feed the Plants’ that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.” said Flam.

“This production showcases what the Performing Arts Company does best: give our actors and stage crew the chance to learn about theater by creating a fully realized production,” Flam noted.

“The set will bring the world of Skid Row to life, and then open up to reveal the inside of the flower show; the costumes capture a colorful 1960s aesthetic; as always, the singing and dancing are sure to be a highlight of the show, especially with incredibly fun songs serving as a creative springboard, and a Pit Orchestra made up of mostly of students, under the direction of Arto Asadoorian.”