Lighthouse Youth Theater Lights Up Yorktown Stage

Audiences at the Yorktown Stage experienced something truly special this weekend when the Lighthouse Youth Theater, under the direction of John Fanelli, performed a lively and entertaining production of "The Wiz." 

A jazzy modern spin on the classic Wizard of Oz, "The Wiz" opened on Broadway in 1975 with words and music by Charlie Smalls. After four years and 1,672 performances, the show received seven Tony awards, including Best Musical. It was later released as a movie starring Diana Ross as Dorothy, Richard Pryor as the Wiz and a young Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow.

The young cast members of the Lighthouse Youth Theater, ranging from 5 to 18 years old, added something to be proud of to the rich heritage of this show when they gave the demanding music and wry humor an energetic and fun outlet in all four performances.

The group was founded by Artistic Director John Fanelli in 2006 and, operating out of their school in Thornwood, has since seen many former students enter the world of professional musical theater, a contribution to the arts that Fanelli is rightfully proud of.

"We are not just training the stars of tomorrow, we're training the theater goers of tomorrow," Fanelli told the audience.

Fanelli, who has been directing for 15 years since he graduated from college, firmly believes that the skills his students learn here will extend well beyond the stage, and can strengthen them and prepare them for many aspects of life.

"We can't let this thing die," he said, emphasizing the importance of letting the next generation experience the stage.

And the students of the Lighthouse Youth Arts Center, who make up the cast as part of their curriculum, love the experience and training that they receive performing three different shows a year. 

For 16-year-old Mitch Kutin, who played the Tin Man in two of the performances, this was his first year with Lighthouse and he plans to stay, not only with the group but with theater as a whole.

"It's real on stage," he said, "Watching the actors become the characters... it's magical."

Many of his fellow cast members feel the same, including Brittany Banks, 15, who played Evilene the Wicked Witch.

Banks' favorite part of the show, more than the performance itself, was "getting to know all these amazing kids and experiencing this wonderful family environment."

The enjoyment of the actors, as it often does, translated into the enjoyment of the audience and, as the characters grew and interacted, you couldn't help but became engaged. 

From the first time Joey Sanzaro stepped out onto the stage as the Lion and belted out "I'm A Mean Ol' Lion," you waited for his next quip and soulful song.

The dancers, students of Lighthouse's dance instructor David Arzberger, captured the power and controlled chaos of a storm in the Tornado Ballet. Some of the smallest members of the cast colorfully bedecked as the playful Munchkins, welcomed Dorothy, played by Sarah Heinzmann, to Oz and immediately grabbed the audience's attention.

Below the stage, the small pit orchestra captured the big, funk and jazz-influenced sounds of "The Wiz" in a way that complimented the vocalists. Chris Burke, the music instructor of the Lighthouse Youth Arts Center, headed up the pit along with other professionals and a few student volunteers.

Although interest in musical theater has waned over the years, thanks to the work of the Lighthouse Youth Arts Center and the Yorktown Stage, the art form has a chance at resurrection with the up-and-coming generation.