Shady Side Academy students gear up for musical that promises laughs, mystery

Shady Side Academy sophomore Julia Zoratto landed a role in the school's spring musical where her character is the lead role in a musical.

Try to follow that without getting confused, she said with a laugh.

“The show this year, ‘Curtains,' is about putting on a musical with the added situation of solving a murder,” Julia said. “It does exactly what a musical is supposed to do. It has feel-good ensemble numbers, a witty plot and you'll walk out humming the songs.”

More than 75 SSA students are working on the show, whether onstage, behind the scenes or in the music pit.

Julia said the production will give audience members a glimpse of typical backstage operations, which most people aren't privy to.

“It shows the process and how you constantly have to be able to adapt to new and changing material,” she said. “People who are involved in theater will totally relate to it.”

For others, Julia suggests sitting back and laughing at the one-liners and ludicrous mischief that make up the murder-mystery plot.

Set in 1959 Boston, there is fallout when a supremely untalented star of “Robbin' Hood of the Old West” is murdered during her opening-night curtain call. A police detective who moonlights as a musical theater fan makes it his mission to save the show and solve the case.

Written by Rupert Holmes, “Curtains” opened on Broadway in 2007 and earned eight Tony Award nominations. The music and lyrics are by Fred Ebb and John Kander, the pair behind “Chicago” and “Cabaret.”

“The funniest part about the show is that the show within ‘Curtains' is so absolutely ridiculous,” Julia said. “It's as if it's making fun of how ridiculous musicals are sometimes. If you are looking for a few laughs, I'd come see it.”

Drama Director Dana Hardy-Bingham said the show spoke to her. It made her want to share it with the SSA community in an effort to show “the behind-the-scenes world that attracts so many of us to theater, and the performances that often give our audiences that much-needed escape from reality.”

She believes the show celebrates the joy that actors, crew and musicians experience while performing.

“It celebrates the audience, too — the lovers of theater who experience that same joy while watching a production,” Hardy-Bingham said. “Through the eyes of the lead character, a theater novice himself, the impact a show can have on people is presented in this funny, sweet, entertaining musical.”

Music Director Dan Brill said seven of his wind players will participate in the pit, in collaboration with several students from Deer Lakes School District, whose Band Director Chris Snyder will play a demanding trumpet part.

Brill encourages his students' participation in musical theater because, he said, “It is an American art form and there aren't many of those we can claim.

“It also is amazing multi-tasking. Pit players get great experience sight-reading challenging keys, meters and rhythms. Actors need to sing, dance and act. This is great training for all the multi-tasking they will need throughout life.”

He believes the production forces students to be expressive and attentive.

“It demands artistic, mental, physical and emotional commitment from all participants if it is to be a successful project,” he said.

Senior Taylor Wood, 18, landed the role of Jenny the stage manager in the musical.

Having participated in theater at SSA all four years, Taylor said a tight-knit family has developed and that each year, they get the chance to bring new members in to share the joy and work toward a common goal.

Students who participate in the musical sacrifice hours of after-school free time and strike a delicate balance between the theater schedule and school work.

“The large quantities of academic work along with learning lines and attending long rehearsals make the experience fairly stressful,” Taylor said. “It's a challenging and time-consuming job, but I feel that the enjoyment greatly outweighs the pressures felt in the musical process.”

Hardy-Bingham said “Curtains” is a testament to why so many people delve into show business. It embraces the feelings of camaraderie, creative expression and “utter elation that a group of people can have when they come together to produce a show.”

Tawnya Panizzi is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. She can be reached at 412-782-2121, ext. 2 or at tpanizzi@tribweb.com.