By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE – Broadway is dark. So is the Dominick A. Potena Performing Arts Center. But the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down live entertainment will not stop students at the Eugene A. Tighe Middle School from taking their shot at performing a Broadway musical.
“We can’t sing in person because of the aerosol spray, but we have made a virtual workshop available to any students in the Tighe School who want to participate,” music teacher Debbie Roland said.
Students who will miss the opportunity to perform in one of the Tighe School’s fabulous winter productions of age-appropriate musicals can obtain a link to an online musical rehearsal of the hit Tony Award-winning Broadway show, “Hamilton.”
“We can’t have our regular choral program, but anyone in grades 5-8 can register to receive a link to the online workshop with the cast and musical director of ‘Hamilton,’” Roland said.
The students who register will learn the unique rap musical style of Lin-Manuel Miranda ahead of the rehearsal session. Students will work with their teacher starting early January to prepare for the workshop. During the workshop, they will be coached by Hamilton Musical Director Ian Weinberger.
Students will get the opportunity to perform in a musical number or solo. With the help of other cast members, they will learn the choreography, staging and music of the world’s most popular historical production.
The 90-minute workshop to be held in early February includes a question and answer period, and Weinberger will provide the students with hints on how to perform better on stage.
Roland said students will focus on certain musical numbers yet to be selected before logging onto the workshop. After the workshop, students will be able to record themselves singing their part for a multi-choir performance to be submitted to workshop organizers. A special multi-choir performance will be compiled from all submissions, which will later be shared with students and the community.
“The kids need to do something creative. They are really looking forward to it, especially since we’ve been limited during the pandemic,” Roland said. “Any chance they have to do something fun and they are all over it.”
Roland said the $47 registration fee is well worth the experience, especially since private singing lessons average $30 for a half-hour.
Performing on stage during the normal winter theater season is not totally out of reach for some of the students, however.
Roland is planning a small non-musical production of “Not So Grimm Tales,” for a small group of students. Although there will be no live audience, the production will be live streamed for parents.
“It won’t be our usual 60-member cast, but we’re looking forward to it,” she said. “It makes me sad that we can’t do our usual production. We are so used to performing and singing all the time.”
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