Prior to last night, if you asked me for my list of favorite things to do, going to a high school play wouldnt have made the top 10,000. In fact, a pair of meteorites simultaneously striking me in the ass would have earned a higher ranking. So when my friend of 45 years, Paul Cassella, called me a few days back to ask me to his son, Christophers play at Amity Regional High School (my alma mater) in Woodbridge, CT, I obliged strictly out of respect. During the 45 mile trip from my business in Bloomfield, CT to Woodbridge, I reflected upon my own acting career, a nano stint in a third grade production in which I played one of two sentries standing guard by a tree planted behind a group of third-stringers with bit parts. If I remember correctly, my role involved blurting out the word, Hark before the other sentry resonated with, Who goes there?. The only kid with less of a audible function was a real goof ball playing the part of the tree. Yet no matter how many times we rehearsed, I remained desperate for the teacher who would wave wildly at me from side stage for my cue to chime in. Walking into Amity High, home of the mighty Spartans, was a bit confronting. Its nothing like the school of my memories. A vast atrium and open corridors tower skyward in lieu of the narrow hallways and boxy intersections I once knew. I found no familiar architectural features from which I could orient myself. However, nothing was totally shocking. Ive been briefed on the construction occasionally by my brother-in-law, Dr. Edward Goldstone, a retired Amity principal, and a one-time Spartan school stand out captain of the baseball, basketball and football teams. The place was packed. Little did I know, but the play, a Broadway musical, In The Heights, has been a five night sellout, and Pauls son, Christopher, the youngest kid in the entire production, has one of the leading rolls. He plays Benny, the boyfriend of Nina Rosario, a girl from a Latino barrio in the Bronx who is struggling financially to continue her education at Stanford University. Nina is played by Shaylen Harger, Christophers real-life girlfriend... and that became obvious in the drawn out kissing scenes!!!! The production was nothing short of fantastic, featuring some of the best singing, dancing, acting, set design and music (by the Amity orchestra) that I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying - all in a spacious new theater with plush stadium seating amidst professionally articulated acoustics and lighting. And Paul Cassella has a son one can only admire. Christopher, who was recuperating from a sickness that eliminated him from the first two nights, put out a stellar performance, one of the many reasons for a five minute standing ovation.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 23:06:05 +0000
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