MPM’s Poetry Coffee House Yields Unexpected Surprise

Hearing the word “poetry” always makes me cringe because it conjures up images of stuffy people reciting stale words that are distant from my world. Ironic, because one of my favorite authors is Jack Prelutsky (Parents:  if you haven’t heard of this guy, RUN, to the library and get out one of his books! You’ll have as much fun reading his poetry as your children will enjoy hearing it. Or click here. But the kids at Mount Pleasant Middle School managed to bring poetry to life at Thursday night’s Poetry Coffee House where they performed poems from not only Mr. Prelutsky, but Robert Frost, Shel Silverstein, Wallace Stevens, and a host of others. 

Hosted by Ben Asher, Max Goot, Julia Cuppari, Jordan deBrauwere, and Nicholas Meaney, the production oozed with spirit and personality. Asher was especially dazzling; this kid, whom I’ve mentioned before, is completely comfortable and delightful on stage. As “Chaz” he radiated a type of jovial confidence that made him a pleasure to watch. The entire cast, in fact, seemed to be having a blast. 

Nowhere was that more apparent than when the FAB (for Faculty Allstar Band) performed. This magical group of MPM faculty musicians and singers (who also boast being NJASK proctors) were incredible! They rocked out several numbers so completely, so professionally, they elevated the standard school performance to a far more enjoyable level. And I think the kids on stage, who were enthralled by the band, would agree. 

Now, the kids were great, don’t get me wrong. But let’s be honest: if you’re a parent, you’re sitting through most of the performance waiting for your own child and/or several of their friends to get on stage so you can watch them. Sure, there are some really good performances, but nothing earth shattering.

The FAB is astonishingly good! I don’t think, based on the self-deprecating way they performed, they realize the impact they had on the audience, young and old alike. If you heard them, you just had to move your body in time with the classic rock/pop songs they played. Note to the PTA:  if you want to have a really nice fundraiser, try to get these guys to perform. I’d pay money to see them.

All-in-all, the FAB was a delightful surprise to what was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Based on the productions I’ve seen at MPM, there are some wonderfully talented kids making their way up to Heritage Middle School and LHS. Indeed, they made the world of poetry entertaining and relatable. Kudos to the entire Coffee House cast!