Crowds Go Crazy for Huntington Spring Musical
More than one hundred hours of rehearsals over a five week period paid off for Huntington High School drama club members, who brought down the house with three near-flawless performances of the George Gershwin musical Crazy for You.
The production was seen by hundreds of local residents, including a crowd of more than 400 that turned out for opening night. The pit orchestra began the opening notes of the overture while the cast waited in the wings for the curtain to rise.
The record crowd was treated to the toe-tapping antics of Jonah Kramer (Bobby) and the mellifluous vocals of Mary-Liz O’Neill (Polly). Add to that the comedy of Jon Noyes (Lank), Jeff Bishop (Bela Zangler) and the cowgirl trio of Ally Kiley, Cara Mohlenhoff and Kirsten Freiman (Sam, Mingo and Moose) and the audience was in for a real treat right from the opening minutes.
Also shining were students Caitlin Etri (Patricia Fodor) and Tommy Monks (Eugene Fodor) who played visiting tour book authors. In the musical, the Fodors come to the small Nevada town and encourage the people to keep a "stiff upper lip" and move forward with their plans.
The successful show elements included a bevy of chorus girls – Kiki Thompson, Cassidhe Lofaso, Colleen Tuebner, Katie Getz, Dayna Reyes and Anna Harris (Elaine, Susie, Betsy, Margie, Sheila and Vera) led by Lena Freed (Patsy), Renna Wirchin (Tess) and Olivia Wyrick (Mitzi) – that try to urge Bobby to make the life choices that will make him happy – leave his fiancé Lauren DiPasquala (Irene) and his overbearing money hungry mother, Rebecca Silverman who eventually falls for Polly’s father, Jake Goldsztejn.
Everyone ends up in Deadrock, Nevada, a town inhabited by the laziest cowboys and cowgirls the West has to offer – Mercury Caronia, Danielle Cerezo, Jenn Szilagy, Kevin Freeman, Cody Jacobs and Leslie Stephen (Harry, Pat, Custus, Jimmy, Doc and Jud). Not to mention the three worst card players known to man – Samson Widerman, Sammy Sainthil and Richie Gray (Billy, Wyatt and Junior). Amid all the confusion and mistaken identities, love wins in the end.
Michael Schwendemann, Huntington’s drama club advisor and an English teacher at the school summed it up best: “Who could ask for anything more?” A sentiment that could be applied to the production itself, as well as the plot.
All graphics, photographs, and text appearing on the Huntington Public Schools home page and subsequent official web pages are protected by copyright. Redistribution or commercial use is prohibited without express written permission. Comments or Questions? email the Public Information Office