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Eighth Annual Broadway Night Entertains, Raises Money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

WEST ORANGE, NJ - The eighth annual Broadway Night played to a full house at West Orange High School on Oct. 15, highlighting student talent and raising $1,300 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Fine Arts teacher and Glee Choir director John Hellyer organized the evening, which featured solos, duets, trios, and group performances by Glee members in grades 9-12. Hellyer helped students find songs that fit their range and utilized material from previous programs. Students wore Glee Choir or t-shirts from past musical productions at West Orange High School, and Edison, Liberty, and Roosevelt Middle Schools. Pianist Matt King provided musical accompaniment. 

The songs ran the gamut of Broadway offerings, from the emotional "I Dreamed a Dream" (Les Miserables) to the humorous "Easy Street (Annie)," to the soaring "Morning Glow" (Pippin), and the hilarious "Suddenly Seymour" (Little Shop of Horrors) performed by Hellyer and District Media Coordinator Lauren Grof-Tisza. While the appreciative audience of staff, students, and community members cheered students on, the support that glee choir members showed each other was just as heartwarming as the performances themselves.

West Orange High School has always supported a robust Fine Arts program, which includes theater, music, dance, and marching band/color guard. According to Education Partnerships, Inc., "Some research has shown that when students study the arts, it leads to higher achievement in other academic areas, especially when the arts are meaningfully integrated throughout different content areas. Studies in Chicago indicated that test scores of students who studied the arts went up two times faster than those in comparable schools. Another study indicated that those who studied fine arts in Minneapolis schools made substantive test gains, this was especially true for youths who were considered to be disadvantaged."

See video clips of performances below. 

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM BROADWAY NIGHT HERE.

CHECK OUT THE PROGRAM AND SONGS PERFORMED HERE.

Broadway Night

Broadway Night

Broadway Night

Broadway Night

John Hellyer and Lauren Grof-Tisza
 
 
 
Cynthia Cumming
Oct. 20, 2024