Summer Stock Showcases Neshaminy Student Performers

LANGHORNE, PA —The Neshaminy School District takes stock of its annual student performance that runs every summer.

For 56 years, Neshaminy Summer Stock has entertained crowds with shows of numerous Broadway and movie hits and this July was no different with performances of "Mamma Mia!" and "Finding Nemo."

Summer Stock has been a tradition of Neshaminy School District since the first production in 1965, said Chris Stanley, the district's director of communications.

He said the program was built to give students the opportunity to "put on a show,” and has evolved into a program where students learn all aspects of theatre.

Each level challenges young performers to find and develop their individual talents while learning and using team skills and building friendships.

Auditions begin in late May each year and the shows are rehearsed and staged in just over three weeks in July with guidance from a dedicated team of theater, music, and education professionals.

This year, 273 students from Neshaminy School District and other schools throughout Lower Bucks County participated in the program.

Stanley said that several Summer Stock alumni have gone on to professional roles over the years.

He mentioned how Dan Horn, a 2009 Neshaminy High School graduate who is now a Broadway actor with credits including “Some Like it Hot,” “Miss Saigon,” and "Bullets over Broadway,” returned to Neshaminy during this year’s Summer Stock to share his expertise with some of the performers during a recent Master Class.

This summer, students in Grades 7-12 took the main stage at Neshaminy High School for "Mamma Mia!," the Broadway hit that celebrates love, friendship, and the timeless music of ABBA.

The Theater Workshop show (grades 4-6) was "Finding Nemo, Jr.," the story based on the 2003 Pixar movie, which also featured music from the stage show, “Finding Nemo…the Big Blue and Beyond” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.

The youngest performers (grades 2-3) in the Summer Stock Showcase performed a series of musical sketches based on classic Fairy Tales, ranging from "The Big Bad Wolf" and "Snow White" to "The Three Little Pigs" and "The Wizard of Oz."