NHS Plays & Musicals: A Look Back And A Look Forward

Niskayuna High School has a long tradition of putting on an annual musical production and a play, both of which always generate much interest and excitement among members of the district and community. Let’s take a look at some past musicals and an interview with Mrs. Pizzino-Catalano, a member of the musicals, and Madhav Raj, a member of Drama Club!

The pit orchestra for musicals is traditionally conducted by Mr. Neubert, a retired Director of Music at the district. They perform much of the music and sounds of the play, spending many afternoons rehearsing the show’s music. Along with Mr. Neubert, Mrs. Pizzino-Catalano guides vocal preparations, acts as piano accompaniment, and producer as well. Her thoughts on the musicals follow this article.

In 2017, the high school’s musical was the Phantom of the Opera. The plot follows the Phantom (played by Jad Jacob), who lives underneath a grand stage and falls in love with a young female singer, Christine Daae (played by Alexandra Burgess), and teaches her how to sing and act. However, a childhood friend of Christine, Raoul (David Burhmaster) comes to visit and also falls in love with her. Needless to say, things quickly spiral out of control. The musical was a huge success and achieved great acclaim. It won the High School Musical Theater Award for ‘Best Musical’ at Proctors, along with ‘Best Set Construction’ for the crew, and ‘Best Technical Execution’ for the actors.

In 2019, the musical was Little Women, which coincided with the release year of the movie remake. It follows the four sisters’ coming-of-age story: Jo (Alex Burgess, who also played Christine Daae), Meg (Bella Zonderman), Beth (Gabriella Pizzolo), and Amy (Madalyn Montgomery) as they grow up and mature in unexpected ways. It was a wonderful adaptation of a true classic!

Though Covid interrupted major plays, Drama Club was still able to put on a smaller production, The Lost Boy, last year. And of course, being in-person this year we can finally start putting together larger-scale productions. This year holds great promise with the musical Mamma Mia. As we anticipate what is in store for us, let’s hear some firsthand reports from insiders!

Isabella Peng: Please explain your connection to the musical or play.

Madhav Raj: In the play, "The Lost Boy," I portrayed the roles of a Bartender (Sean ORourke), a messenger who delivered a eulogy (Deacon), and a foolishly romantic fellow (Ned). Very happy with those first two roles, the third one is debatable.

Mrs. Pizzino-Catalano: I have been involved in vocal preparation, rehearsal accompanist and as the producer. The shows I have been part of include: Sondheim’s Follies, Bye Bye Birdie, Cinderella, Thoroughly Modern Millie, CATS, Shakespeare’s R&J, Sweeney Todd, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Phantom of the Opera which was nominated for nine H.S. Musical Theatre Awards and was named best musical at the regional H.S. Musical Theatre Awards at Proctors Theatre, CAMELOT, Little Women and Disney’s The Little Mermaid).

IP: How was it behind-the-scenes?

MR: Behind the scenes, it was very fun. The backstage crew was very supportive and great to talk to, especially my friend Lauren Mclear who is now stage manager for the upcoming production!

PC: It's a lot of work - rewarding and worthwhile work, but intense and dedicated from all parties involved.

IP: What was your favorite part of being in the play?

MR: To be honest, my favorite part of being in the play was the number of seniors I met. Being a freshman entering high school was already hard enough for meeting new people, but once I started talking to the seniors, I suddenly had more connections.

PC: When I accompany, my favorite moment is actually "seeing" things for the first time when the orchestra comes in for our first few combined rehearsals. I finally get to see what is happening onstage, instead of looking at the music scores. Also, as a vocalist, I always love when I first see the dancing because that is something that I'm not very good at. I have so much respect and admiration for the choreography aspects.

IP: What was the most difficult part of being in the production?

MR: The most difficult part of the production is probably trying to stay calm right before the play. Since it was my high school theatrical debut, I wasn't used to bigger crowds. But, like I said before, the seniors really helped me find a sense of calmness and they put me at ease.

PC: The last few weeks of the run are a great deal of adrenaline, energy and time commitment. Balancing school, the show, and other personal responsibilities take some definite planning and balancing!

IP: Is there anything unique or unexpected about being part of the play/musical?

MR: The musical was canceled last year due to COVID but the Drama club production was allowed to move forward. Something different in this performance than others I've done was the requirements of masks. This made talking a lot harder and we had to spend many days working on our diction and pronouncing the words.

PC: I think most people may not realize that there is so much more than just what is happening onstage in the moment. Please be sure to congratulate those who are backstage, participating in the technical crews such as sound, lighting, costuming, makeup and hair, the backstage crew and of course, the pit orchestra. These are the people that truly make the show go from good to great! We also can't forget all of the adults who go above and beyond to support the production.

IP: If you have experienced multiple plays, what is something that never changes and what is something that is unpredictable?

MR: Something that is unpredictable during plays is you never know what mistakes an actor/actress might make in a scene and that will require you to quickly improvise it and move on from there. And that just comes with experience and focus. But something that will never change is our audience clapping as we bow side by side.

PC: What never changes is the community support and excitement. Even during the weekend of the production, people are asking, "What is next year's musical?"

IP: What is a future play that you would like the school to put on and what are you looking forward to in the upcoming Mamma Mia musical?

PC: I'm looking forward to continuing the reinvigoration of live performances...the arts have been hit so hard during COVID and this revitalization is needed not just for entertainment, but for mental health and to promote well-rounded and educated individuals. As for the future...that's a secret that you'll have to wait excitedly for!

IP: Is there anything else you would like to add?

MR: I would also like to thank our directors of the play who graduated, Caroline Skrebutenas and Dan Watson.