Flash and Plastics: PAC’s Musical Brings Broadway’s Mean Girls To The High School Theater [VIDEOS]

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Photo: It’s show time this week at the Belmont High theater as the Performing Arts Company holds four performances of Mean Girls, the musical

In its first production in the Belmont High School auditorium, the Belmont High School’s Performing Arts Company is going full Broadway with Mean Girls, the hit musical that brings the current high school experience to the audience.

The large cast of talented student dancers, singers, actors, and an army of dedicated “techs” are accompanied by a band of students and professional musicians performing from their very own orchestra pit, a first for a PAC performance.

Mean Girl’s Director and Producer Ezra Flam is taking full advantage of the professional sound and lighting equipment and using all of the backstage theatrical rigs because … he can.

Other than Saturday’s matinee, tickets for the three 7 p.m. performances are extremely limited.

PERFORMANCES
Thursday, March 16 at 7 pm
Friday, March 17 at 7 pm
Saturday, March 18 at 2 pm and 7 pm​

Tix Info

  • ADULTS: $15 in advance, $18 at the door.
  • STUDENTS/CHILDREN: $10
  • BHS Students: $5 Thursday and Sat Matinee, $10 Fri & Sat 7 pm

“We have six rigs that bring down the backdrop and other set material. I wanted to use more but they were all taken,” said Flam after the first dress rehearsal on Monday of performance week.

Selecting Mean Girls was twofold for Flam: “I really like the flash, that it’s in your face,” and it’s a great show to “showcase the orchestra pit” as well as what “the set crew can do with all we now have” in the new theater.

Directing his 10th PAC musical, Flam is assisted by Musical Choreographer Jenny Liftson, Arto Asadoorian is the pit band director, Kaitlin Donovan leads all the singers, Anna Moss is the scenic director, Ian O’Malley, the technical director, and Lila West came up with all the colorful costume designs.

Mean Girls is adapted from the hit 2004 film of the same name and tells the story of Cady Heron, who starts high school at 16 after being homeschooled in Africa for the first 15 years of her life. Cady quickly crosses paths with “The Plastics,” a group of popular girls who rule the school through intimidation, backstabbing, and bullying. Initially joining their clique as a joke, Cady finds herself sucked into their world and discovers the dark side of high school friendships.

With a script by the writer of the original film and Saturday Night Live Alum Tina Fey, Music by Jeff Richmond (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and Lyrics by Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), the 2018 musical follows the plot of the film and includes many of the movie’s iconic moments and jokes.

Due to mature subject matters and situations, adults bringing younger elementary-aged children may want to discuss Mean Girl themes before the performance. But watching the dress rehearsal, the show is full of good-hearted moments and a great message at the end … well, maybe not where a mean girl is hit by a bus. (“She doesn’t die!”)

The Performing Arts Company is Belmont High School’s extracurricular student theater organization, providing hands-on opportunities for students to learn about all aspects of theater, from performance to design to production management, while creating high-quality shows. 

Breaking: Belmont Police Report ‘Possible’ Shooting On Olmsted Drive, Two At Area Hospitals

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Photo: Belmont Police investigating shooting on Olmsted Drive

Two people were likely shot Monday afternoon in an Olmsted Drive parking lot and are being treated at area hospitals, according to a Belmont Police press release.

The preliminary investigation indicates this was not a random act of violence, according to police.

The police as of 8 p.m. continue to investigate what they are calling a “possible shooting” after finding evidence at the scene and learning that two possible gunshot victims were being treated at local hospitals, said Belmont Police Chief James MacIssac.

The press release said Belmont officers responded to a pair of 911 calls reporting shots were fired in a parking lot off Olmsted Drive around 5:20 p.m. Police found spent shell casings and a magazine but no victims or suspects. Olmsted Drive is the location of Waverley Woods apartments.

After an investigation, police learned two possible victims with gunshot wounds were being treated at local hospitals.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Belmont Police at 617-484-1212.

More to come.

Belmont High Girls’ Soccer Under Friday Night Lights Vs Brockton In Play-In Match

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Photo: Belmont High Girls Soccer will be looking for freshman Danica Zicha’s scoring touch to continue in the Div. 1 tournament.

It’ll take one more victory for Belmont High Girls’ Soccer to secure a spot in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 state tournament as the Marauders host Brockton High School under the Friday Night Lights, in a play-in game at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at Harris Field.

While Belmont (9-8-1) made the tournament being one of the top 32 power ranking teams – finishing at the 25th spot – schools outside the threshold but with a season record over .500 are provided the opportunity to play themselves into the playoffs. This season, nine schools were eligible including the Boxers which finished their campaign at 10-6-0.

Friday’s game will be the second of a playoff doubleheader set for Harris Field as Belmont’s field hockey team will take on Arlington High which is fielding a co-ed team. That game starts at 4:15 p.m.

Friday’s winner will travel to Franklin to battle the 8th-ranked Panthers (14-3-1) on Monday, Nov. 7 at 4 p.m. If Belmont wins, Monday’s game will be an extremely rare doubleheader as Belmont High’s Boys Soccer team is scheduled to meet Franklin at 6 p.m., an occasion where both boys and girls teams in the same sport are in tournament action at the same location. What are the odds?

It’s been a truly up and down season for the team and first-year head coach Jemmy Cange who started the year with several players injured including some who have been out for the entire season. And the injury curse continued in the final four games as a pair of varsity standouts went down and will miss the tournament.

Despite the downside of injuries, the team’s highlights include the steady play of midfielders such as Bridget Gray and the discovery of the team’s leading scorer, freshman Danica Zicha. The team is coming off a season finale beating Westford Academy, 3-1, and can recall a 4-0 road shutout of 12-win Arlington and winning silverware – the Phoenix Cup – as champions of Soccer Night In Belmont for inspiration entering the tournament.

Belmont Help’s Pumpkin Rescue And Fundraiser; Town Hall Sunday, Nov. 6, 10AM To Noon

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Photo: The poster for Sunday’s rescue and fundraiser

Here’s what to do with your post-Halloween jack-o-lanterns and all those pumpkins wasting away on your porch and steps: rescue them from the landfill by donating them.

Belmont’s third annual Pumpkin Rescue and Donations Drive benefitting Belmont Helps will take place on Sunday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. to noon at the Belmont Town Hall, 455 Concord Ave. at the corner of Pleasant Street. Drive thru the Belmont Town Hall complex and a volunteer will happily collect your pumpkins and donations from your vehicle.

Partnering with Belmont Composts, Belmont Helps is collect pumpkins for compost and keeping them out of landfills. In addition, the event is a fundraiser for Belmont Helps which assists families in need with food resources and groceries to the tune of more than $20,000 per year. Contributions big and small are vital. Take this opportunity to empty your piggy banks in addition to dollars or checks made out to Belmont Food Collaborative with BH in the memo line.

‘Too Soon!’ Skeletons Galore This Halloween on Hellcrest

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Photo: Too soon!

Hords of ghouls – I mean residents – made the treak this weekend to see a parade of skeletons that rose from the dead as the quiet cross road between Common and Goden known as Hillcrest made its annual transformation into Hellcrest, the spookiest road in the Tombs of Homes.

Word of advice: The street will be blocked off and police will be patrolling the area on Halloween, Monday, Oct. 31..

The nice fall weather brought folks from around Belmont and surrounding towns to view the assortment of active skeletons, jack-o-lanterns and spiderwebs.

For more than a decade, nearly every home along the still-to-be-paved road decorated their property with skeletrotial aplomb. This year’s collection had a distinct British feel with Mary Poppins with her parrot head umbrella, St. George and the Dragon as well as a recently deceased monarch with her pet corgi.

“Too soon,” said one observer.

“Too soon.”

First Sign Of The Holidays: Town OKs Lions Club Christmas Tree Sale Starting Nov. 25

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Photo: Let’s get a tree!

The first inkling of Christmas has arrived in Belmont as the Select Board approved the Belmont Lions Club’s 65th annual Holiday Tree and Wreath Sale to take place at the War Memorial Delta across from the MBTA commuter rail station at 1 Common St.

The sale, which began in 1957, will begin the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 25, at approximately 2 p.m. While the final day will be on Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24, it will actually closes when the last tree and wreath is sold which occurs well before the final day.

Lions’ Co-President Tom Hevey said despite inflation and the high cost of transportation, tree prices will see only small increases from last year.

In addition to the tree sale, the club is making a donation of holiday tree lights that will be added to two
mature trees on the Delta, to be installed by Belmont Light.

As one of the largest retailer of Christmas trees in the area, the Lions Club sale includes wreaths, mantle pieces, baskets and many other holidays items. The trees come from the same farm in Nova Scotia since 1957, has been supplying the club.

Belmont Goes Electric Set For Saturday, Sept. 17 At The Chenery

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Photo:A STIHL® Electric Blower(credit: STIHLUSA)

Join Belmont Light, Sustainable Belmont, and the Belmont Energy Committee for ‘Belmont Goes Electric!’ a joint home and garden electrification event on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chenery Middle School, 95 Washington St.

Events will include:

  • Test drive or ride along in a number of All-Electric and Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles from dealers and residents.
  • Talk with a representative from the handheld power equipment firm Stihl about battery operated yard equipment, including leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and more.
  • Discover the benefits and affordability of going electric in your home, garage, and yard, including rebates from Belmont Light.
  • Talk to current owners of EVs, cordless yard equipment, and heat pump systems about their experiences.
  • Sustainability-focused groups will be in attendance.

Election Results: Quarter Of Belmont Registered Voters Placed Ballots in State Primary

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Photo: Belmont Town Clerk Ellen Cushman retrieving the final ballots in the town’s drop box

Despite the day-long rain and coming off a Monday holiday that tapped down the number of in-person voting, Belmont still saw more than a quarter of registered voters cast ballots in the 2022 state primary election on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Just a hair short of 5,000 votes were registered (4,995) with the bulk coming from early and mail-in votes as more than 3,600 residents requested ballots using the “I Want To Vote!” postcards (see photo below). A good number of residents also utilized the drop box outside the Town Hall over the weekend and up until the last minute of voting at 8 p.m. when Town Clerk Ellen Cushman fished out the last of the ballots with her smart phone being used as a flashlight.

With the added options to vote and the need for ballots to be couriered over to the respective precincts to be counted, the night’s tallying took a considerable time with the final results coming in well past 10 p.m.

“We’ve discovered we have a lot more to do” now, said Cushman as she sent three volunteers with the last batch of votes to the town’s eight polling stations.

In the election results – you can find them here – Belmont was a bellwether among those towns known for past progressive voting patterns. In one of the competitive races closely followed by voters, Democratic candidate for state Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell received 59 percent of Belmont’s tally, a significant upgrade from her 50 percent she garnered statewide in her win.

In the Democratic state auditor’s race, Belmont voters backed the more progressive Chris Dempsey over Methuen state senator Diana DiZoglio, 59 to 40 percent, while state-wide DiZoglio bested the transportation advocate, 54 to 46 percent.

On the Republican side of the ledger, the Donald Trump-backed Geoff Diehl – who won the primary for governor over challenger Chris Doughty, 55 to 45 percent – could only muster 44 percent of Belmont voters (and less than 400 actual votes) to Doughty’s 56 percent.

Early Voting For Primary Election Underway In Belmont, Ends Sept. 6

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Photo: Belmont Town Hall is open for voting business

Early election balloting is currently underway in Belmont for the state primary election taking place on Tuesday, Sept. 6. There is no advanced application required to beat the rush on Sept. 6.

Early voting began on Saturday, Aug. 27 at Town Hall (the only location being used for early voting) and will continue until Noon, Friday, Sept. 2.

The hours for early voting are:

  • Monday, Aug. 29, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Aug. 30, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 31, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Thursday, Sept. 1, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Friday, Sept. 2, 8 a.m. to Noon.

Mail-in ballots are also being received at Town Hall. According to Town Clerk Ellen Cushman, 3,600 of Belmont’s nearly 18,000 registered voters sought to vote via mail. They also can place their mail-in ballots into the secure dropbox at the Town Hall entrance. Cushman asks that mail-in voters to send their ballots in asap to avoid missing the Tuesday, Sept. 6 deadline.

Residents who will be out-of-town on Sept. 6, gave a religious or medical reason why they can’t come to their polling station can ask for an absentee ballot.

And voters who prefer the traditional method can show up at their local precinct between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Bring your ID to the polling station; you may be asked for it if you didn’t fill out the annual town census.

•Are you already registered to vote in Massachusetts? Check the website below to confirm whether you are registered and where you are registered. www.sec.state.ma.us/voterregistrationsearch/

•If you are not already registered or you need to change your address and you have a valid Massachusetts Driver’s License or ID Card, you can register to vote online. You must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years old on Sept. 6. Go to www.RegistertoVoteMA.com. Paper forms are available in the Town Clerk’s office.

Winter Storm Warning For Belmont: 5″ to 8″ Of The White Stuff On Friday

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Photo:

Belmont and communities inside the Route 128 corridor are under a Winter Storm Warning as between five to eight inches of snow is expected on Friday, Jan. 7.

The warning, issued at 3:24 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 6 by the National Weather Service, forecasts heavy snow from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. in portions of eastern and southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Travel could be very difficult, warned the service, as hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.

“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” reads the press release. The latest road conditions for the state can be obtained by calling 511.