Sacred Heart Academy Presents Chitty Chitty Bang Bang At Shubert Theater

From Sacred Heart Academy: Sacred Heart Academy (Hamden) will proudly present the beloved musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on November 3 and 4 at the historic Shubert Theatre (New Haven).

The talented cast of 110 students includes Veronica Ciccone ’18 (Durham) as Truly Scrumptious, Jenna Basile’19 (Branford) as Jemima Potts, Madison Brenchak ’18 (Seymour) as Boris the Spy, and Danielle Fillardi ‘18 (Hamden) as Goron the Spy. These Sacred Heart students are joined by 24 talented male actors including Sheehan HS’s Drew Waldron (Wallingford), Hamden Hall’s Shaun Hillis (Madison), and North Haven HS’s Ryan Solorzano (North Haven). The student crews consist of more than 100 other students, moderated by Sacred Heart
Academy faculty members.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, inspired by the popular film, features songs, including “Toot’s Sweets” and “Bombie Samba”, along with many other memorable numbers. The Academy’s talented students have worked for months under the tutelage of award winning choreographer and alumna Janet Gambardella Bracale ’77 (North Haven) and returning musical director Chad Hardin (Guilford).

Producer Kim Curbow ’81 (Branford) has served as the technical director and backstage crew moderator for more than 25 years, and is thrilled to bring this show to the Shubert to celebrate 71 years of Sacred Heart Academy. “I am ecstatic about this company, and overjoyed to collaborate with an award- winning team. This company has rehearsed and researched famous female inventors of the Victorian era. They have also learned about the Steampunk style to help create the world of the play,” shared Director MaryLee Delaney (Wallingford.)

MaryLee Delaney has enlisted alumnae Julia Bowers ’04 (West Hartford), Elise
Hebel ’09 (Hamden), Joanna Barragan’14 (East Haven), Maria Saracco ’14 (Hamden) to assist with production, set design, puppetry, and photography. Delaney has loved rehearsing this talented company, and overseeing the outreach service projects. Each year the musical students participate in a service project inspired by the theme of the musical, and this year they partnered with The International Save A Life Tour. The Save A Life Tour promotes safety on the road. They held an event that simulated distracted driving for students.

Reserve now for this thought-provoking, energetic, and timely classic…tickets are $27.50 for orchestra seats, $22.50 for the mezzanine, and $12.50 for the balcony. Performances are Friday, November 3 at 8 pm and Saturday, November 4 at 2 and 8 pm. For tickets and information call 203-562- 5666, visit www.shubert.com or the box office at 247 College St., New Haven, or purchase at Sacred Heart Academy, 265 Benham Street, Hamden. As tradition dictates, Sacred Heart Academy alumnae in attendance will be acknowledged at all performances.

Image Courtesy of Sacred Heart Academy