Nazareth Area High School Theatre Troupe to Present “Songs From Shows We Can’t Do Here”

The  Theatre Troupe is proud to present the revue showcase, “Songs From Shows We Can’t Do Here.”

Opening night will be Thursday and the curtain will rise at 7:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

If you can't attend opening night, no worries! The show will also be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

“Songs From Shows We Can’t Do Here” will feature an assemblage of musical numbers.

“[Some songs are] from more popular musicals, and a few [songs are] from not-so-popular musicals,” according to Amanda Kolakowski, the show’s director and a 2009 Nazareth High graduate. “I think we selected good genres. I think there’s something for everybody."

The troupe will perform the following songs (not a complete list!):

• Two songs from the play “Wicked”
• A song from “Hairspray”
• A piece from “Next to Normal”
• “Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”
• And more!

Kolakowski, who is a theatre major at , said “Songs From Shows We Can’t Do Here” is different than the productions you normally see at Nazareth.

The troupe is calling the show a "revue showcase," according to Kolakowski, because it will feature "songs from a lot of different musicals [and from] shows we can't do at Nazareth."

There are a number of reasons why certain shows cannot be done, explained Kolakowski. They include cast size, unavailability of rights and even the fact that Nazareth has a predominantly white enrollment -- race can become a factor in choosing a musical, she said.

Perhaps the most unique feature of this already-uncommon production is that it is entirely student-run. The actors and the pit orchestra members are all high school students, and the vocal director is Nich Roehler, a senior from .

Kolakowski hopes the production will show community members that even though students are running the show, they "can still put on an amazing production."

Another interesting feature of “Songs From Shows We Can’t Do Here” is that every actor in the cast of 19 will perform a solo.

Jim DeNora, the regular-season director of the theatre troupe, will be the acting producer. He is the only non-student involved in the actual production.

For the curious bunch, the theatre troupe is a club at the high school, but it does not receive any funding from the district. Instead, the troupe's funding comes from ticket and concession sales. Because the troupe is not funded by the district, students from other school districts -- even colleges, in Kolakowski's case -- are allowed to participate in productions.

Dates and Times:
Thursday, June 2 - 7:30 p.m. curtain
Friday, June 3 - 7:30 p.m. curtain
Saturday, June 4 - 7:30 p.m. curtain

Where:
The Nazareth Area High School auditorium is next to the high school's 501 E. Center St. entrance.

Ticket Information:
Tickets for Thursday's show will be $5 each.
Tickets for the shows on Friday and Saturday will be $8 for adults, $6 for students.