Article Title: High School Rehearsals in Progress at MHS -- Actors, Singers, Dancers, Pumped for FAME

Edition: November 2000
Category: Arts/Music/Theater
Author: Lindsay L. Graff
Article:

Its eight o'clock on a Wednesday night in October and the auditorium at Montpelier High School is jam-packed with students. They are all over the place: onstage, in the halls, in the aisles, and everywhere in between. To some it might look like chaos, but if you listen harder, you might hear music playing in the background and commands being shouted from every direction.

To the many there, this is chaos with a purpose. The people dancing onstage are perfecting their dance moves, while the students in the halls are rehearsing their spotlight solos. In the aisles, a scene is being blocked, while the students in between are simply waiting their turn to perform.

Why would all of these students sacrifice a night at home watching "Buffy" or "Dawson's Creek"? The reason is FAME.

Its true that all the student participants would love to see their names up in lights but the FAME we are discussing here is the name of a new musical that Montpelier High School will perform on November 15, 16 and 18. FAME is based on a movie that was then turned into a television show.

The musical is set in New York Citys La Guardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts. At La Guardia many students apply but few are accepted. The ones who are accepted have what it takes to be there: talent. At La Guardia, we meet blossoming students and watch their lives unfold as they strive to put their names up in lights. As the show continues these students become the stars and we are drawn into their lives as they love, cry, and fight for their dreams. The La Guardia High School featured in the musical was the first high school in the nation to provide a free, publicly funded program for talented students of the arts. Some lucky graduates that actually went on to achieve their dreams are Al Pacino, Ben Vereen and Diahann Carol.

The amount of talent at La Guardia High is hard to believe, but what is even more amazing is the amount of talent at Montpelier High School. Three years ago the musicalGREASE took Montpelier by storm. It was so packed with talent that the show was an instant hit and the memory of that success lingers in the auditorium like a friendly ghost.

Now, three years later a new generation of students is ready to blow your socks off.

"There's a lot of rich talent here," said Director Russell Smith. "I wasn't surprised. I knew I would find it. We could have cast this play twice, there is so much talent. It cries out for more musicals."

It is easy to believe him once you have seen a rehearsal: beautiful voices echo in the high ceilings and wonderful dances are perfectly choreographed right down to the slightest movement. The result looks so effortless that it is hard to imagine that so much work went into it.

The students definitely deserve lavish praise, but don't forget the adults behind the scenes. We always owe the biggest thanks to them for being willing to juggle the demanding schedules of sports and other extra curricular activities so all cast members can be included. The choreographer is Bonnie Duke and the singing coaching is Lorraine DeFelice. Both Duke and DeFelice are veterans of the GREASE production. Another adult who deserves praise is Bill Keck, the orchestra director. Last but not least is Smith who directs the musical. He is also an actor of note. He's starred in local productions of "Charlie Brown" and "Oklahoma!"

There are many special qualities about FAME. One is that its a show that combines so many things: music, acting, dancing and singing. When successfully combined, the end result is a musical so entertaining and exhilarating that it is sure to be a hit. Another special quality is that every student in the show has so much spark and talent that its almost as if they are the characters they are playing.

These are not just any kids who will perform for your entertainment; these are kids who are filled with exceptional talent and desire. They put so much effort into this production that they all deserve their names in lights and their fifteen minutes of public adulation.

The musical FAME is a must-see and I encourage all to see it, if not for its dancing and singing and acting and music, then just for the chance to catch a glimpse of the young stars at Montpelier High School.

Who knows? These stars might be the next to have their names in the warm glow of lights.

This appreciation was written by Graff, a sophomore at Montpelier High School and a singer in the production FAME.

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