Oakton High School - Paragon Yearbook (Vienna, VA)

Page 20 text:

An Evening of A merican An Evening of American Musical Theatre Directed by Donald E. Cox Choral Direction by Virginia T. Hill Instrumental Direction by David L. Reid and James W. Curtis Dance Direction by Marlene Cunningham and Paula Pavlovski of Dance World Studio Fairfax, Virginia Music Scores and Arrangements by James Curtis Production Assistance by Martha F. Jensen Spoken Vignettes by- Boris Lowenstein 18

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Great Pumpkin Halloween started early this year with the annual Great Pumpkin contest sponsored by the Keyettes. The contest began the week of October 29, when several brave individuals were chosen to dress themselves in unusual costumes and collect money for the Keyettes. The profits were used to sponsor the popular Sadie Hawkins Dance whose purpose was to raise money for the Red Cross. All week, Richard Alcalde, Jim Bryan, Ken Delker, Dan Leedy, Pat McGibbon, and Howard Pritchett competed to come up with the most unusual costume and earn the most money. Some of the costumes featured were impressions of women, Adolf Hitler, Dracula, Wolfman, Robin the Boy Wonder, and several other unidentifiable characters. The final amount collected was $300, with Pat McGibbon the leader. 17

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Musical Theatre Oakton High School presented a musical review, An Evening of Amer¬ ican Musical Theatre” on the nights of November 14, 15, and 16. This production, the largest in Oakton’s history, was a big success. There were sell-out crowds on both Friday and Saturday nights. During the last weeks of September, auditions were held after school and the cast was selected. The following week, rehearsals began and involved a total of 497 rehearsal hours. Pointer Sisters exercises and bruised knees were among the highlights of these rehearsals. This musical was presented as a combined effort of the Band, Choral, and Drama Depart¬ ments, as well as the support of many other students in school. It involved twenty percent of the entire school population; 130 of them in the actual cast, 150 in the bands and orchestras, and 100 in backstage crews and cos¬ tumes. Thirty songs from twenty of the most popular musicals were cast and individually staged and costumed. There was a total of over 800 cos¬ tume changes, and an average cost of twenty-five dollars each for members of the cast. In addition to the long hours of regular rehearsals, over thirty members of the cast devoted extra time and energy to dance rehearsals, cho¬ reographed by Marlene Cunningham and Paula Pavlovski of Dance World Studios. To many in the cast, this musical served as an introduction to the stage, an opportunity to explore and express some of their talents. This year’s set, a collection of musical titles and a red, white, and blue theme, was designed and constructed by a student, Alan Schleeper. In addition, many of the indi¬ vidual numbers were staged and directed by the students themselves. This was a very successful experiment dealing with a new dramatic experience for Oakton. An Evening of American Musical Theatre,” because of its tremendous support and enthusiasm, has been recommended as an annual event. The enthusiasm of both cast and audience, combined with student interest for drama, foreshadow the probable success of similar productions in the future.