A Note From The Director:
WELCOME BACK!!
My journey with the theatre department at Newport Harbor High School began shortly after the old theater building was torn to the ground. When I first arrived as a volunteer working with then then theatre teacher and show director, we were a travelling band of players without a home until one day, the beautiful building you now find yourself reading this in appeared like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. To this day, my claim to fame remains that I helped design and coordinate the very first show that took place in the new space.
So it is fitting, I suppose that I was asked to lead this first in-person production on the Robert B. Wentz stage since 2019. Working with a new group of students, some of whom have never set foot on our stage before and some of whom have only known Newport Harbor through the lens of a Zoom screen. To be able to bring back live, in person musical theatre to this stage has been a great feeling and it has been made even better by getting work with and know such a great group of young artists. From singing and dancing to poster art and costumes, lighting and sound there is not one aspect of our production tonight that will not have been at least partially created by our students.
From day one our philosophy has been that the Theatre Arts department be a welcoming, open and student centered program that emphazies the joy of the procress. The end result is three days of performance and comes with hard work and dedication. The joy, comes from the days, weeks and months leading up to that opening night. I hope you have enjoyed being in the audience this, I have enjoyed getting to be a part of it.
Thank you as always to Joe D'Aquino for allowing me to exit the tech booth and flex my creativity. Thank you Krisitina Reifenstein and Erik Pryztulski for for your amazing work on music and Choregraphy and to Dr. Janice Sykes and all the staff and faculty who have participated in this show tonight.
Appreciation must be expressed to Sean Boulton and all of the NHHS Administration for their continued support of the Arts and a big thank you to my "Otter Half" Cathy Clark-Ramirez for always encouraging me and reminding me that I can do more than I think I am capable of.
From The Director's Chair,
C. Ramirez
