Shore Players Ready For Upcoming Production

For the Shore Players, this weekend will mark the end of a long journey as their production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will begin tonight, March 4, at 8 p.m. at Shore Regional High School.

Director Todd Aikens,of Long Branch, is a Shore Regional alumnus and is directing his first Shore Players production. He said it has been a wonderful experience and that he is eager to see the students perform.

"They have been here every day working their tails off," Aikens said. "They're ready and it's been fun for me. I'm excited for the kids and I hope I made it for them."

Aikens has directed plays with Phoenix Productions which holds performances in Count Basie Theater in Red Bank and has also directed plays at Howell Memorial Middle School. He said he is excited to work with high school students this time.

"The main difference is that there are more boys involved, because it's cooler for them now," Aikens said. "It makes it more wide open to do a different show."

It was Aikens' idea to do Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat this year and he decided to put a unique twist on the popular musical.

"I thought of it as a 10-year-old's vision of the play," Aikens said. "It's the story of a little girl who is dreaming and creating a bible world in her head with modern day things."

Some of those modern day things include county and calypso musical numbers as well characters who resemble Elvis Presley and Lady Gaga.

Junior Chloe Chalakani is in her third year with Shore Players and will be portraying the Pharaoh character who resembles Elvis.

"It's a really fun role with a big dance number," Chloe said. "It's a crazy costume and I love it."

Sophomore Michael McArdle is playing Reuben, a year after performing is last year's production of Gypsy. Michael said his experience last year will help calm his nerves this year, but that he is still looking forward to the feeling of performing on stage.

"That rush of excitement is so much fun," Michael said.

Chloe said this year's production is much more light-hearted than the previous year.

"Last year's play was emotional and dramatic," Chloe said. "This year there is more of a chance to have crazy energy and let it go on stage."

Senior Chelsea Amoroso is the co-lead of the production and will be playing the Narrator who is telling the bed time story to her little sister.

"She's probably on stage for 90 percent of the story," Aikens said.

Chelsea said this is her first lead role in a play.

"I'm terrified and thrilled at the same time," Chelsea said with a laugh.

However, she said she is ready and said she has been training in singing and dancing every day of the week for the last few months to prepare for the role. That was probably a smart idea for her, as the play has very little dialogue and most of the scenes are sung.

Student dance captain Emily Vascimini has been on hand to helping out her fellow performers by taking extra time to teach them their moves. She is also playing the role of one of the brother's wives and is also portraying a show girl. She has been a dance captain for Shore Players' productions for three years and said she enjoys the role.

"I like helping them and seeing their faces when they get it," Emily said.

Another special treat for the performers is the fact that they will be the first to grace the stage of the newly-refurbished auditorium at the school.

"It's awesome," Chelsea said. "It's one of the great changes we're experiencing in Shore Players."

Aikens said renovations to the auditorium began near the end of last school year and were finished at the end of February.

"We were never nervous," Aikens said. "We knew it would be done (before the show)."

The auditorium features new seats, floors and ceiling that provides for better acoustics.

The show will be held on March 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. and March 6 and 13 at 2 p.m.

Tickets for the performance can be ordered by e-mailing shoreplayerstix@shoreregional.org or by calling 732-222-9300 ext. 2550.