WMHS Musical Revue to Benefit Theater Program

Recent Ward Melville alumni will return to the high school stage on Friday night for a musical revue to benefit the theater arts program.

According to Linda Contino, director of the program, budget cuts have left the theater program with less funding for essential production components, and the is a fundraiser to help close the gap.

"We are revisiting some numbers from many of our past shows, as well as throwing in some new tunes," Contino said. "It’s complete with dancing, lines, narration, full lighting and sound. It’s a really nice evening of musical theater."

Nearly 30 recent alumni will participate, including many cast members from last year's production of and the previous year's Les Miserables. The cast has been working three or four nights per week since July 11 to prepare.

"They are all kids who have been in the musicals at WMHS who felt that it was a worthy cause to help raise money for our upcoming musical," Contino said.

Tickets are $10 and go on sale about 45 minutes prior to the show, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Those who attend can expect to see popular numbers from Phantom, Anything Goes, Chicago, Les Mis, Lion King and others.

The exact amount of the budget cut from the 2010-11 school year to the 2011-12 school year was not immediately available .

The cuts left the theater program – which Contino said is mostly self-sustaining – with enough money for licensing this year's musical, which will be Fiddler on the Roof. But this year, there is no money for essential components like sound production. That necessitated a fundraiser, and the Senior Summer Recall Revue is a first for the theater program.

"I’m hoping to make it an every year thing," Contino said. "It seems like we’re going to need to enhance our bank as much as possible. Budget cuts are still looming."