Information for the TV News Story and Newspaper story I gathered by interviewing people at the event. Information for the Email Media Release was provided.
Word Count: 260
[ANCHOR]
About 50 Somers High School students performed in Legally Blonde The Musical. The musical premiered Friday night followed by Saturday night and Sunday afternoon performances. News 12’s Lisa Reyes is on scene at Somers High School.
[LISA ON CAMERA]
Somers High School’s annual musical features 50 students in Legally Blonde.
[B-ROLL: Video of actress playing Elle Woods in a scene on stage with her ex-boyfriend coming onto the stage]
[LISA VO]
Legally Blonde focuses on a young blonde woman, Elle Woods. She enters Harvard law school in pursuit of her ex-boyfriend.
[B-ROLL: Video of Elle Woods in a scene with Emmett Forest]
[LISA VO]
Elle meets Emmett Forest who helps her succeed at Harvard. Eventually, Elle falls in love with him. Senior Jessie Shaw plays Elle Woods. Shaw comments on what it was like to put this show together.
[SOT]
[SUPER: JESSIE SHAW / ELLE WOODS]
“This is a really hard show musically. We didn’t realize going into it. It’s a lot of weird key changes and tempo changes. It took a lot of cast cooperation.”
[B-ROLL: Video of the audience clapping and rising for a standing ovation] [LISA VO]
About 200 people attended the Friday night performance. Many of the actors and actresses comment that the audience is the most rewarding part of performing. Junior Daniel Kushner plays Emmett Forest. Kushner also agrees that the audience is what makes performing memorable.
[SOT]
[SUPER: DANIEL KUSHNER / EMMETT FOREST]
“I just love people watching me and enjoying the things that I’ve worked hard to make. It’s amazing that people get to enjoy the things that I produce.”
[LISA ON CAMERA]
Somers High School students perform a musical every March. The cast rehearses every week for two hours Tuesday through Friday until opening night… On scene at Somers High School, I’m Lisa Reyes, News 12.
[ANCHOR]
Rehearsals begin for the musical in January. Students can audition in December. For more information on how to get involved, contact director Ann Ferraro at AFerraro@somersschools.org (A-Ferraro-at-Somers-schools-dot-org).
About 50 students performed in Legally Blonde The Musical at Somers High School on Friday night.
Somers High School students audition to perform a musical every March. Rehearsals for the musical began in January for two hours Thursday through Friday. Senior Jessie Shaw who played the lead, Elle Woods, in Legally Blonde described the rehearsals as craziness and fun.
“This is a really hard show musically,” Shaw said. “We didn’t realize going into it. It’s a lot of weird key changes and tempo changes. It took a lot of cast cooperation. We really pulled through. In the rehearsals, we all became so close, just because it was such a challenge.”
Shaw began performing when she was 7-years-old. She performed in many roles but said this role might be her favorite. Junior Daniel Kushner who played the male lead, Emmett Forest, in Legally Blonde began performing when he was 11-years-old. Both Shaw and Kushner agreed that the audience is the best part about performing.
“I just love people watching me and enjoying the things that I’ve worked hard to make,” Kushner said. “It’s amazing that people get to enjoy the things that I produce.”
Despite their love for performing, it does have its challenges. Shaw described the multi- tasking that’s required for actors and actresses in musicals, because they sing, dance, and act at the same time. Kushner agreed that the worst part about performing is the stress that comes with it.
“I was freaking out about hitting a certain note for two and a half hours,” Kushner said. “I did it, and it was great. It’s just that the time before it was nerve-wracking.”
Legally Blonde follows a young blonde woman, Elle Woods, as she applies to Harvard Law School in pursuit of her ex-boyfriend. Elle learns about law and discovers who she really wants to be. The plot focuses on Elle’s transition from sorority life to her Harvard life with comedic moments along the way. She meets Emmett Forest who helps her succeed at Harvard and eventually falls in love with him.
The Somers High School’s version of the show featured two live dogs, the high school’s actual principal, and a live orchestra. About 200 people attended the Friday performance at 7:30 p.m. The cast also performed Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.
However, the cast hoped to do more than just entertain the audience during those performances. Kushner hoped the audience would get the message to find what they love to do. Shaw hoped the audience would learn from Elle’s self-discovery at the end.
“Always be true to yourself,” Shaw said. “There’s a great line at the end, ‘being true to yourself never goes out of style.’ There’s never a wrong time to be you. That’s something I will definitely take away from Elle. I learned that being you is what gets you wherever you are in life. What makes the experiences you have and the people you meet is how much you believe in yourself.”
Shaw said that she will definitely pursue theatre as an extracurricular in college. She is unsure what college she will attend and what she will study after graduation in June. Kushner said he will definitely audition for his senior year.
Subject Line: Photo op: Over 25,000 people at 21st Annual Zabawa
Contact:
Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church 2220 Reed Street
Erie, PA 16503
814-456-0671
www.holytrinityrc.org
July 27, 2015
Zabawa in Erie to celebrate Polish heritage
Live musical performances each day
For immediate release
The Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church will host the 21st annual Zabawa Friday through Sunday, Aug. 21-23.
The event will include entertainment, games, a kids’ area, authentic Polish food, and a dance floor. Each year over 25,000 people attend, which provide many photo opportunities.
“This is one of Erie’s most popular ethnic festivals,” said Holy Trinity’s pastor, Father Tom Aleksa. “Not only will there be superb Polish food, but you’ll hear Polka music played by some of the greatest Polka bands in America.”
Musical groups will perform live everyday, providing photo and video opportunities. Musical groups include Polka Family Band from Bloomsburg on Friday and The Knewz
from Buffalo, NY on Sunday.
The Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church will hold the Zabawa at their church at 2220 Reed St. The event is from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, 1 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 12 to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission is free, and Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority will provide free shuttle service from the parking area at East 34th and Ash Streets.
About Holy Trinity Catholic Church
Immigrants from Poland came to Erie in the mid 1800s and established a Polish Catholic church. Over time, the church became too small. In 1902, Bishop John E. Fitzmaurice approved plans for a second Polish church. A year later, Bishop Fitzmaurice formally dedicated Holy Trinity Church. The church has served Catholic families throughout the city of Erie and beyond for more than 100 years.