OSWEGO, NY – Fitzhugh Park Elementary School Music Teacher Garrett Heater not only directed this year’s annual musical, but for the third consecutive year he “wrote†the production.
Students took to the Ralph M. Faust Theatre for the Performing Arts stage for the world premiere of “Gumshoe Louis and the Case of the Missing Vase.â€Â
The talented Heater noted this experience has provided something very special for the students of the Fitzhugh Park Elementary School.
He noted, “I have been writing plays and composing music since I was in fifth grade. I am fundamentally a creative person and want to instill this in my students. I want all my Concert Choir kids to be involved in a ‘world premiere’ with each new musical. So I write my own shows to make that happen. They are part of the creative process in creating these new and exciting characters and this achievement is something they will always have inside of them as they grow into adults.â€Â
The audience laughed and applauded this year’s cast in the new musical production.
Students worked diligently in learning choreography by Susan Blumer, presented their lines in a professional manner and displayed tremendous talent and ability in belting out numerous songs.
Gangsters, dance girls, eccentric millionaires combined with comedy and mystery provided a very entertaining performance for fellow students and community.
The principal characters included Gumshoe Louie (Mark Forger) and his trusty secretary Tessie Takealetter (Amber Cavellier) as well as gangster Bugsy Morone (Jeremy Ruotolo).
Also featured were Anastasia Carnegie-Vanderbilt-Rockefeller-Morgan-von-Geldington (Michaela Callen), Baron von Geldington (Nathaniel Ahart), Julia von Geldington (Haley Baker), Funny Chide (Joseph Pickett), Madame Zsa Zsa (Mikayla Trapasso) and Officer O’Malley (Jesse Fragale).
Bugsy Marone’s mobsters included Jordan Crapser, Robin Huang, Connar Dryden, Nate Sanaker, Robert Holt, Matt Rivera, Derek Burnett, Matthew Weller, Josh Hill, Conner McKean and Zack Wood.
Officer O’Malley’s daughters included Brooke Farnsworth, Libby Rookey, Cassandra Cappozzi, Marcella Cummings, Robin Engle, Skylar Holt, Mari Atkinson, Mariah Morley, Sarah Cappelletti, Sarah DelBrocco, Amber Vivlemore, Kirstin Mitton and Abbey Mulkerin.
The flapper girls filled the stage for dance numbers and included Ashley Richmond, Hayley Still, Paige Russ, Rebecca Scheinert, Natasha Pepper, Cassondra Cappozzi, Brianna McWherter and Brittani Mason.
You can’t have a musical without an orchestra and several Oswego High School students backed Heater on piano to comprise “The Magnificent Mile Jazz Combo.”
The group consisted of Jackie Hondro, Amber Scruton, Kristen Bartholomew, Kyrstin Blackburn, Gina Bartholomew, Mike Gill, Anthony “Mooch“ Miuccio and Nate Westcott.
Once again the behind-the-scenes efforts of Denise Heater, Garrett Heater, Pat Roland, Kathy Forger, Sue Weller and Amy Orr created the wonderful costumes while Melissa Valenzuela handled the duties of stage manager.
The stage crew included Alexes Butler, John Parkhurst, Robert Schirm, Kiana Senke, Diana Lazzaro, Walter Colvin, Quinn McManus, Sierra Paternoster, Audrey Standish, Alison Rodgers, Bryan Paul, Kaitlyn Strong, and Oswego High School student crew members.
Lighting and sound was designed by T.J. Bandla and Stephen Braun.
Once again Heater was very proud of the efforts displayed by his students.
He watched the “world premier†evolve through auditions, the rehearsals in the music room to the actual production on stage of the Ralph M. Faust Theatre for the Performing Arts.
As always it was a magical experience as students saw two and a half months of preparation come to a conclusion as the audience laughed and applauded their efforts.
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