Hall High School - Hall Light Yearbook (Spring Valley, IL)

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Making an early entrance. Shelly Savage and Mark Merkel pass through lacy curtains to enter the Prom’s make-believe world. Reigning over We've Got Tonight were Kathy McCook and Kent Herrmann. Couples entering the Prom were introduced by Ron Prokup and Mary McAdams. Receiving the royal treatment are Amy Bement and Brian Adrian. PROM 13

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McCook-Herrmann Reign Over Prom The posters announced it: “We’ve Got Tonight.” The Junior Prom was coming April 28, 1984. Breaking tradition, the site of the dance moved to the Firehouse Inn. “How much would it cost for a new dress?” “You’ve got to be kidding! I’ll take it.” “What color should my tux be?” “What kind of flowers do you want?” were phrases heard in the halls around school. Finally the day arrived. Cars were washed and waxed. A hair appointment had to be kept. Time had to be found to pick up the tux and flowers. Soon a transformation would take place. The normal dress of every day would be replaced by the exotic. Couples arriving were greeted by Ron Prokup and Mary McAdams who announced everyone. All eyes turned to the crepe-covered entrance to see the newly-arrived pairs. Soon the hall was filled to capacity. A popular place before dinner was the picture line. A record of the night taken, the group waited for dinner. The magic hour of nine arrived and the music started. Soon the floor was crowded with dancing couples. The shy people sat back and enjoyed the music of the “Big Kids.” Finally the moment arrived that everyone had waited for — the crowning of Kathy McCook as prom queen and Kent Herrmann as prom king. The enchanted hour of midnight signaled the end of the dance. Some groups went their special way, and others went to Hall’s Red Devil Gym. The Jay-cees were again sponsoring an After Glow. The band “Vexin” kept the crowd entertained for hours. Lack of sleep did not deter the crowd, but the weather did. Sunday was a day of constant rain, and the many picnics were rained out. This gave everyone time to regroup and to add more pleasant memories to their Prom weekend. A slow number found the dance floor crowded with couples enjoying the music of “Big Kids.” A break between dinner and the dance allowed a few moments of talk with dates and friends. Cliff Rygh finds a remark from his table funny. Fast dancing, the couples passed the evening much too quickly as We’ve Got Tonight” became a memory. 12 PROM

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Music Man Plays To Standing Ovations The haunting memories of Meredith Willson’s Music Man can still be heard echoing through the Hall auditorium. The story of a hustling salesman, Harold Hill, was brought to life by the Drama Club. Taking place in the small Iowa community of River City, Professor Hill, played by Emil Bertalot, convinces the people they had a problem. The opening scene set the pace for what was to come. “You got troubles right here in River City’’ gave Harold Hill an opportunity to install the seed for a boys’ band. The casting was an enormous task for a small school and several of the cast members came from the elementary school system and the Illinois Valley Community College. Director Kevin McNulty supervised student director Kathy Becker as the many details of production came together. Professor Hill, a real conman, made an impression on many people. The real job was that of winning over the librarian, Marian Paroo, played by Patti Pienta. Four short weeks found the town of River City torn about the validity of their boys’ band. Strong performances were given by Emil Bertalot, Patti Pienta, Jamie Dees, Kevin Schmollinger, Jane Rooney, and Amy Rauh. The troup performed to capacity houses on February 17, 18, and 19. The dramatic finale of “’76 Trombones” brought the crowds to their feet as they gave a standing ovation at each performance and curtain call upon curtain call. The Music Man stands with the great shows at Hall High School. After four weeks of trying Professor Hill (Emil Bertalot) finally gets through to Marion Paroo (Patti Pienta) as he sings TILL THERE WAS YOU. 14 MUSICAL