[BHS etree] MISC: Orchestra receives honor: l Drama presented Sunday night and next weekend

[bhs at idiom.com]

contact:  Mark Coplan [mailto:Mark_Coplan at berkeley.k12.ca.us]

1. BHS Orchestra Scores Highest Possible at CMEA festival!
Once again, the BHS Orchestra has received the score of "Superior" from
four judges listening to their program and sightreading at the California
Music Educators Association Orchestra Festival held at San Ramon Valley
High School on Friday. This rating is commonly known as a "Unanimous
Superior" and so the orchestra gets to have a plaque proclaiming their
achievement to hang at Berkeley High.  Music teacher Karen Wells reported,
"The musicians sounded great today, and worked really hard to get there,
so I think the score was well deserved."  Karen, teaches music at a number
of our schools, so many of these students have been under her wing since
elementary school.  The proud teacher that she is, it was after midnight
when she stopped dancing long enough to send this email to her students (I
got a copy):

>From Karen Wells to her Students:
Just wanted to let you know how proud I am of your accomplishment tonight
Band and Orchestra members! You really earned this unanimous superior
rating. I thought your performance, both in the main performance and in
the sightreading challenge showed your maturity, musicality and your
composure. Congratulations!

And thanks to all the parents for being excellent chaperons and audience.
That support is invaluable. Thank you.

2. Man in the Musical Opened Friday, Show Sunday and next weekend
This year the Berkeley High School Drama Department Presents an Original
Premier Production:

The BHS Drama department opened with their 'World Premiere' of the Lila
Tschappat & Phil Gorman production, Man in the Musical Friday night.
This story begins with an aspiring actor Cornelius Love (played by Simon
Trumble), struggling with his desire to launch his acting career, and his
desire to avoid the 'unrealistic nature' of musical theater, when offered
a leading role in a musical so wild in it's premise that it reinforces his
concerns.  Falling in love only adds to his confusion.
His co-star Mina Svendsen (played by Sonja Dale), is struggling with her
own problems; an upcoming wedding date to a man so caught up in his work
that he is rapidly becoming a stranger as she begins to fall in love with
Cornelius.

After working with the students at Berkeley High School, the
writers/producers told me, "This promises to be some of the best theater you
have experienced.  These
kids are as good and in some cases better then the adults we usually work
with."

With over two dozen actors/actress' in the cast, there are many other
'star performances'.  The combination of good acting, singing and a great
musical score left an energized audience whistling the show tunes as they
left the theater.  I overheard one woman telling the producers that she
had never laughed so much, and she couldn't stop humming the melodies.

The music is being performed by musicians from the recently scored
"Superior" BHS Orchestra and the number one High School jazz band in the
country, the BHS Jazz Ensemble.

Tune into BUSD Public Information (BCM Channel 33) at 7pm on Wednesday May
5th for a preview of Man in the Musical, as well as a look at John Muir
and Emerson schools (followed by the BUSD School Board Meeting at 7:30pm).
 Photos from the performance will be on the BUSD Web-site, Monday, May 3rd.

Additional Showtimes for Man in the Musical:

Sunday, May 2nd at 8 p.m.
Thursday, Friday & Saturday May 6th 7th & 8th at 8 p.m.

Location:
Florence Schwimley Theater (at Berkeley High School) on Allston Way,
between MLK and Milvia

Cost: $10 for Adults, $5 for Students

Berkeley Community Media (BCM) Channels 28 & 33 will be selling video
tapes of the production.


==========================================

Mark A. Coplan
Public Information Officer, BUSD
510-644-6320
Mark_Coplan at berkeley.k12.ca.us
Berkeley Unified School District
2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, Ca 94704-1180

______________________________
Janet Huseby and Kathryn Capps are the facilitators of the etree; please
direct any questions or concerns to them at <bhs-owner at idiom.com>