June 26, 2008

Striking a NYC pose

Castillero drama students take a bite out of the Big Apple

By Shana McLean Moore
Staff Writer

There are some courses of study that just can’t be completely captured in a textbook; sometimes it’s better to work them out on a stage.

Tori Moore, Claire Crinion, Rachel Gracey and Sasha Wooton strike a pose at the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. Photos by Oxana Wooton

Knowing that drama is one subject that requires a multi-sensory approach to learning, drama teachers Sharol Felch and Diane Zlotziver organized a tour of Castillero Middle School students and parents to sample theater Broadway-style with a five-day trip to New York.

The tour began with a relatively comprehensive and exhilarating yet exhausting pace catching a 6:15 a.m. flight out of San Jose on Tuesday morning. The group of 55 students, parents, siblings, grandparents and teachers arrived by bus to their Times Square hotel under the guidance of their knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide and “Hairspray” touring cast member Brad Broman, who promptly sent them out again for a New York pizza dinner and the kids’ first experience with the enormous neon signs along Broadway.

Eighth grader Tori Moore found Times Square beautiful. “With all the lights, it wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen before. Even though it was nighttime, it was as bright as day.”

Despite jet lag and an early wake-up call, the group started their first full day at a local bistro for breakfast before boarding a bus for a tour of famous television and movie locations within the city. Students were intrigued by the filming sites for the movies “Elf” and “Enchanted” and Donald Trump’s TV show, “The Apprentice,” while the adults on board were more nostalgic about the locations pointed out for “The Cosby Show,” “Friends” and “Seinfeld.”

Castillero students Alex Southard, Jack Robinson, Nick Vincent, Zach Shiverdaker and Michelle Smeulders pose after the “Wicked” matinee. Photo by Oxana Wooton

Then it was off to what became the trip highlight for many of the tour participants, a matinee showing of “Wicked,” a spin-off of “The Wizard of Oz” told from the witches’ perspective, at the Gershwin Theatre. The day went from complete to full when the group headed straight to dinner and an evening performance of “Mary Poppins.”

One of the most popular features of the tour for parents and students alike were the private “talk back” sessions where cast members met privately with the group to hear solo performances, ask questions of the cast and hear behind the scenes information they couldn’t get anywhere else. Wednesday’s talk back allowed the group to meet Tony Mansker, the understudy who played Bert the night before.

After a lunch break and some time for shopping and a stroll through Central Park, the group took an elevator to the 70th floor of Rockefeller Plaza for breathtaking views of the city. From there it was time to get ready for dinner and the evening performance of “Legally Blonde.”

The last full day of the tour included the group’s second chance to meet an actor and Anthony Glade did not disappoint. As a “swing” performer in “Wicked,” whose job it is to understudy nine different roles in the show and be ready to be called into action at a moment’s notice, Galde captivated the audience with his experiences. In addition to teaching the students the lyrics and choreography to “Wicked’s” “One Short Day,” Galde took the time to give an honest assessment of life on Broadway. With 27 years of experience, Galde had lived through both triumph and despair.

The wisdom, honesty and passion Galde displayed left an impression on many of the students and chaperones. Wendy Shiverdaker, mother of eighth grade drama student Zach Shiverdaker, said that “walking up those steps of the old dance studio and spending an hour with a Broadway actor was a dream come true to me. To me, that is the heart and soul of New York—the experience made my whole trip.”

Anthony Galde teaches Castillero students the lyrics and choreography to “Wicked’s” “One Short Day.”

After meeting the actor and taking a break for lunch, the group walked to the edge of Manhattan and boarded a boat for a cruise tour of the island, including an up-close view of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and a skyline missing its Twin Towers. The day wrapped up with an evening viewing of “Curtains,” a show about a campy Western musical that becomes a who-done-it, starring David Hyde Pierce, famous for his role on the TV show, “Frasier.”

Before heading to the airport the next afternoon, the group had a chance for a backstage tour of Radio City Music Hall, complete with a photo op with a current member of the Rockettes.

As the group boarded the plane for home, Francesca Paist, one of the three official chaperones on the trip, summed the experience up well with: “NYC rocks! Broadway was ‘Supercala’... and the shopping? Fabulous!”

The ride home was much quieter than the trip east as the group of parents and students soaked in the many memories that were made in five short days--memories that are sure to spark even more interest in an already thriving drama program at Castillero.