Home > Past Buzz > 120+ Students to be in Fame Production
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Opening tonight
'Fame! The Musical' at RDHS
By Staff
ROCKLAND (Nov 12, 2004): Rockland District High School's Just Off Broadway Players are busy preparing "Fame! The Musical." More than 120 students are involved in this challenging production.

The show documents the prayers, hopes and ambitions of a group of committed and talented students as they work to develop their unique talents with the encouragement of a supportive faculty. The audience stays with them through four years of intense involvement with their art, following their frustrations and their triumphs from the first day of freshman year until graduation.

"It's amazing how many talented students we have onstage at one time," notes director Alison Machaiek. "The excitement at RDHS is building as kids can be seen working on dance moves in the hallways, back-handsprings in the gym, vocals in the music room, in addition to a talented tech crew who have designed and built the largest set to hit the Rockland auditorium. This production is a perfect showcase for this year's cast as it involves creating an atmosphere charged with exhilarating energy and electricity."

The cast includes Bri Thivierge as Carmen, Sean Curtin as Tyrone, Amy Jones as Iris and Melissa Barez as Mable. They are supported by the Dance Ensemble, which includes David Bragdon, Mike Brown, Nicole Clark, Jeanie Cushman, Leslie Goldsmith, Dean Hale, Maya Holzhauer, Abby Jones, John Leiter, Alonzo Mark, Ryan Moholland, Monica Morrison, Patrick Norman, Eric Pier, Dillon Rossiter, Kat Smith, Faith Stevens, Kay Thivierge and Ali Wellman.

The acting students are played by Roger Marcotte as Nick, Maggie Machaiek as Serena and Max Miller as Joe. The Acting Ensemble includes Jan Cezack, Pinky Curtin, Rachel Doe, Carrie Dole, Anthony Feldpausch, Abbie Goodridge, Eric MacMillan, Kat Messing, Eric Pier and Matt Withee.

Music students include Steven Grima as Schlomo, Sara Zuber as Lambshops and Ryan Jackson as Goody, with Ansel Gifford and Ali Pearce as supporting musicians.

The role of the English teacher, Miss Sherman, is played by Dagney Ernest, while the show's choreographer, Susan Simmons, takes on the role of dance teacher Miss Bell. Josh Mahar, a Biology and Anatomy teacher at RDHS, plays the music teacher, Mr. Sheinkopf and Peter Pfister an RDHS English teacher plays theatre teacher Mr. Myers.

Vocal direction is led by Barbara Hendricks. The pit band is led by Marlene Hall and includes Rosemary Fetterman on flute, clarinet and saxophone, Michelle Blum on flute, Rebekah Rhodes on saxophone, Julie Sanborn and Chris Blum on trumpet, Sylvia Northgraves on keyboards and David Dostic on percussion.

Show dates are November 12, 13, 19, 20 and 21. Curtain time is 7 p.m. with the exception of November 21, when there will be a 2 p.m. matinee. Ticket prices are $5 for students and senior citizens and $7 for adults. Tickets are available at the door.

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