Academy of Performing Arts Newsletter
The Academy of Performing Arts
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Celebrating over 35 Years of Arts in our communityAcademy of Performing Arts A non profit organizationour mission
To enrich the life of the Cape Cod community through the performing arts…
From My Point of View
Dear Academy Community;
How wonderfully we have grown in the last seven years! We have elected Peter Earle to the office of executive director, a position in which he stars as brightly as he does in his position of creative artistic director. We have established a smooth, strong business office with best business practices under Ruth Prall’s effective, successful leadership. We have developed a strong institution that embraces the performance of, and the study of, the performing arts. Like Tanglewood, we have studios, teachers and performers, stars and students, guest artists and technicians. We are a vibrant faculty leading a complex student body of many ages and skills. We are a theater renowned for its performances, capturing the essence of what it means to create, play and inspire spirited music and musicians. We are amazing and you, our community, give us generous gifts to promote our growth and move us to the next level of excellence.
I am grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn from the committed trustees with whom I have served for the last decade. We have developed a culture of careful dreaming, listening and collaborating. We have a good time even while we struggle with the challenges of theater budgets in a weakened economy. A good sense of humor can get us all through a lot! I will stay on the trustees as past president and welcome the leadership of retired Nauset Superintendent Mike Gradone. Together, with you, we will give ourselves a Lift, a landscape and a strong vision for the coming century.
I am also grateful for the gifts that our many donors, sponsors and the Town of Orleans have bestowed.
Thank you for all you have done, and we look forward to mutual giving in the coming decade.
Sincerely, Marcia Pioppi Galazzi
Chair, Board of Trustees Academy of Performing Arts
President, The Family Schools, Inc.
At our Playhouse:
We are very proud to announce an extremely exciting schedule for the Playhouse this year.
We are producing the Frank Loesser and Abe Burrows musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” from October 13th through November 13th. Followed by “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” running November 18th through December 11th. Our special holiday offering “Sounds of the Season” will be back again this year for three performances only. December 16, 17 and 18. Coming in February we’re planning “Fiddler on the Roof” and yes my dear friend Peter Milsky will be starring in the role of Tevye. Fiddler will run February 16th through March 18th. Next up will be Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” we are looking forward to this piece for late March into April.
Our annual harbinger of spring “Nights of New Works will be back for the end of April.
Next summer is equally exciting with the opening show being Hairspray followed by the newer Broadway musical “Legally Blonde”.
There is certainly something for everyone in this diverse and hugely popular schedule, so I do hope well see you at the playhouse soon and often.
At our School:
On September 19th we opened our doors to a new year at the Academy of Performing Arts School. Our Open Houses were a huge success and we owe a great debt of gratitude to the many volunteers, faculty, staff and Board members who joined us to prepare for the new semester and assist with questions and registrations. It is wonderful to see our students return and to greet new students who are just beginning to enjoy all that music and dance can bring to their lives. Registration is ongoing and we welcome students of all ages to come in and try a class.
Earlier in the spring, I turned over the Director of School Operations’ responsibilities to our Artistic Consultant for Dance and Drama, Ms. Jacqueline Underwood. Jackie’s experience as a dancer, teacher and actor is both varied and extensive. She brings enthusiasm, passion and spirit to her work with a view to the future. The Academy is extremely fortunate to have her and I know you all join me in wishing her every success.
On September 21 the school joined the Orleans Pond Coalition in the Celebrating our Waters event and presented Sea Change, choreographed by Ms. Kathy Whitelaw, at Snow Library. The performance was very well received by all in attendance and demonstrated some of the wonderful work being done by our outstanding faculty and very talented students. The event introduced many in the community to the Academy of Performing Arts School for the first time.
We are already in the process of planning our holiday production which will be presented at the Nauset Regional Middle School on Sunday, December 18. Faculty and students from both our music and dance departments will come together to present a wonderful performance that will include something for everyone and will be guaranteed to make you smile.
On a more serious note, the need to increase our Scholarship Fund has never been greater. The time is fast approaching when we will be offering our fall scholarships which are based on financial need and are awarded to students who may otherwise be unable to continue their studies. Over the years, I have seen a marked increase in the number of students applying for scholarships as families find it more difficult to sustain the cost of classes. Our families work incredibly hard to provide their children with music and dance classes because they know that the lessons in perseverance, commitment and teamwork they are learning will serve them well for years to come and that in many instances their classes provide them with an intellectual and creative outlet that they may not experience elsewhere.
Please, our children are worth the opportunity to be able to grow into creative, dedicated and thinking adults and any contribution to our Scholarship Fund will be not only greatly appreciated, but will benefit a student for a lifetime.
Calendar
Oct. 13-Nov. 13
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Academy Playhouse
Thursday-Saturday 8pm
Sunday 2pm
Tickets $22
Nov. 18-Dec. 11
Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol
Academy Playhouse
Thursday-Saturday 8pm
Sunday 2pm
Tickets $22
Dec. 16, 17, 18
Sounds of the Season
Academy Playhouse
Dec. 18
Holiday Dance Concert
Nauset Regional Middle School
Sunday 2pm
Board of Trustees
2010-2011
Marcia Galazzi, President
Kendall Farrar, Vice PresidentBarbara Segall, Treasurer
George Cavanaugh, Secretary
Peter Milsky, Playhouse Chair
Michael Gradone, School Chair
Arlene Kirsch, Development Chair
Trustees: George Burgess, Richard Hatch, John Fallender, Katherine Lewis, Ken McKusick, Nate Pettengill, Jim Ring
Academy Staff
Administrative Staff
Peter Earle, Executive Director
Ruth Prall, Fiscal Director
Playhouse
Peter Earle, Producing Artistic Director
Rick Smith, Technical Director
Ollie Sonberg, Head Usher
School
Ruth Prall, Director of School Administration
Jacqueline Underwood, Director of School Operations
Laurie Snow, Database Manager
Gayle Kenerson, Marketing Manager
Faculty
Dance
Katherine Whitelaw, Hon. Department Chair
Elaine Chase, Tap Program Advisor
Jacqueline Underwood, Artistic Consultant
Barbara Ehle, Suzette Hutchinson, Colleen Kanaley, Emily Mower, Terry Norgeot, Courtney Reardon, Debra Sawka, Elaine Spiezio
Music
Richard Stocks, Dept. Chair
Lucy Brett, Lary Chaplan, Peggy Gerber, Helene Guilet, Fran Hartswick, Berke McKelvey, Christopher Morris, Mark Van Bork, Betty Tipton, Robert Wilder.
DEVELOPMENT & ANNUAL APPEAL
Development & Annual Appeal
Look for our Annual Appeal coming in the late fall.
FRIENDS OF THE ACADEMY PLAYHOUSE
Dinny Goodwin, Chair
Friends of APA
Tish Murphy & Cindy Clifford, Co-Chairs
Paula Peden, Treasurer
Annie Lajoie, Secretary
Caroline Donovan, Accountaapafriends@comcast.net
Our Playhouse is looking for ushers/concession members.
We hope you can commit to one evening a play. Your duties are to sell the concession before and at intermission, and to usher.
