The International judges on the other hand headed home, blown away, and sent their critiques to headquarters. It was unanimous. Lemon Bay High School Theatre was selected as one of the "Top Seven" high school theatre programs in the world, and invited to perform at the International Thespian Festival in late June which is held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Lemon Bay's thespians have made such an impression on the attending judicators that they advised the board to schedule "The Wedding Singer" as the final performance of the festival to set it up as the big show to end the week, and get all of the 3000+ students in attendance "pumped and excited about attending next year!"
News of the invitation was received midday Tuesday, April 28th. The joy of receiving the coveted invitation quickly faded to hopeless as the students investigated the costs. Each student is responsible for coming up with $555 a person to cover their registration, room and board just to attend the festival. A virtually impossible feat, there are 53 kids in the cast and crew making a registration bill of $32,000 due by May 15th to cover the students and three chaperones. That doesn't cover air fare or production costs to bring the semi truck full of scenery, props, and costumes or the technicians and musicians to perform. The estimated total cost needed to be raised by mid June would be $75,000. This sum of money is not realistic for a small town to support, and the reality that it may be impossible for them to attend is a very real possibility without a miracle.
The cast and crew of "The Wedding Singer" is praying, begging, and asking for that miracle to happen! The kids are still in a state of shock, and honored to have been asked. They will hold in their hearts forever the amazing truth that they performed above and beyond the rest of the world! They will know their hard work, sacrifices, and lofty goals paid off. They will cleave to the memory of how to achieve greatness because as Robert Collier said, "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." And as one senior recently commented at his Senior Farewell banquet, "If it hadn't have been for Lemon Bay's Theatre program, I wouldn't be here today. My childhood was unimaginable; I was taken from my parents and transferred to my grandparents by the state of New York. I moved here a total punk and was expelled my freshman year. Obviously, throughout high school, I was very lost. I didn't know who to be, where to go, or what to do, but I knew one unassailable truth- no matter what else was going on I had to be at theatre every day at 3:30 PM."
The contact at the Educational Theatre Association (EDTA) is Diane Carr at (513) 421-3900. Information on the International Thespian Festival can be found at www.edta.org.
The list of 2009 International Thespian Festival main stage productions includes:
Dubuque (Iowa) Senior High School, Troupe 69, John Cariani's Almost, Maine
The Missouri All-State Show production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Forever Plaid by Flower Mound (Texas) High School, Troupe 6154
Lanford Wilson's The Rimers of Eldritch, by Harry S Truman High School, Troupe 5008, Levittown, Pennsylvania
The Memorial High School, Troupe 2980, production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, and Linda Woolverton
Joe DiPietro's All Shook Up by the Ohio All-State cast and crew
Lemon Bay Senior High School, Troupe 257, production of The Wedding Singer, Englewood, Florida
Lemon Bay High School theatre is under the artistic direction of Jennifer Kelly (Grease, Cats, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Swing!), choreographer Sarah Baer (And 5, 6, 7, 8 Dance Studio), Assistant Producer Sherie Ragan (former LBHS Director from 1980-1997), and Music Director Jaclyn Cushman, and vocal coach Sharon Ponte.
Visit our MYSPACE page at:
http://www.myspace.com/471600001
You can see the pictures from live performances of "The Wedding Singer" at: http://www.englewoodbay.com/wedding-singer.html
http://www.englewoodbay.com/wedding-singer-II.html
Florida hasn't been represented at the International Thespian Festival in over ten years. This honor is so much bigger than Lemon Bay High School or Englewood, Florida. It honors the state of Florida! It honors high school performers everywhere. It inspires art teachers on the brink of quitting due to budget cuts and lack of support. It inspires that child actor or actress that doesn't think they could ever make it to Broadway because they can't afford dance shoes or vocal lessons. It inspires communities to rally together to believe in its youth! And most importantly of all- it honors our community, our school, our families, our children, and our dreams. No one is too small to dream! Thank you for telling the world about the incredible and virtually impossible accomplishment of our small town.
To help the Lemon Bay High School Thespians get to Internationals, donations can be sent to: LBHS Theatre Wedding Singer International Fund, 2201 Placida Rd, Englewood, FL 34224 or donations can be made by credit card online through the established fund in honor of Englewood Sun Herald reporter, Grace Gilbert, at:
http://gulfcoastcf.org/page27421.cfm?ecomfundid=10045661
