Tony-Award Winning Actor Leads Montclair Students In Singalong

MONTCLAIR, NJ — It was a “full circle moment” for Laura Benanti when she visited kindergarten students at Nishuane School in Montclair earlier this week.

The Tony-Award winning actor spent some time with the eager students on Tuesday, sharing her experience playing Maria in “The Sound of Music” when she was just 18-years-old – and having had no previous training.

Benanti read an excerpt from the pop-up book, then gave a lesson in vocal sounds and hand signs of “Do-Re-Mi” before leading students in a singalong, according to district administrators.

According to a news release from the district, Benanti was invited to Nishuane by drama teacher Leanna Laurino, who met her years ago when she visited Laurino’s high school drama students. In a “full circle moment,” Laurino invited her to speak to Nishuane’s youngest learners.

Benanti was happy to oblige.

“My favorite thing to do is be of service and I can do that through music and connecting with the community,” she said. “I’m grateful to be able to do this. Art can be something you can hold onto or something you can share.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page.