On Friday night, February 5th, Walt Whitman’s Theater Honor Society unveiled its first annual Curtain Call stage production. Unlike the conventional production of a single play/musical, Curtain Call is unique as it is a compilation of scenes and songs from different plays and musicals, many of them written, directed, and choreographed by Whitman students.

I have visited several of the rehearsals the week leading up to the production, and I have seen nothing but hard work and dedication from many of our school’s actors, directors, musicians, and crew members, staying late into the night to get the show ready for Friday.

While the school has put on several student-run productions in the past, this production is a shining example of the talent that Whitman has to offer. “We are proud to present Whitman’s first-ever Showcase,” says THS President Samuel Hoffman, “and you’ll see all that Whitman has to offer.” The main appeal of the show is that it is run mostly by Whitman students, truly showing the talent that Whitman has to offer.

“Everything that is done tonight is done solely by Whitman students,” says THS Secretary Milly LeClaire. “Everything is written, directed, and choreographed by students. Even the pit is performed and conducted by Whitman students. It’s all students.”

On Friday morning, we were met with several inches of snow and a snow day. Several cast and crew members were worrying, even panicking over how the show will function on that night, if there is one. Luckily, several members from the school district allowed the production to go on. “We’d like to thank the Board of Education and Dr. Dave Bennardo to let us perform tonight, when it was snowing!” says THS Treasurer Tannina Oukacine. Despite the snow, the Curtain Call’s opening night showed a very favorable turnout of audience members to watch the students perform. “People will still come,” says senior actor/singer Carlos Villatoro, “because if they’re committed, they’ll come.”

At 7:30 PM Friday evening, Curtain Call began and would captivate the audience for the next hour and fifteen minutes with several displays of what Whitman is known for: its acting, singing, and dancing prowess.

Junior Lauren Giglio captivates us as the lead singer for the first musical act “Magic to Do” from the Broadway show Pippin. “Welcome to the show, ladies and gentlemen!” exclaims Lauren as part of the song, preparing them for a night to come.

Following the opening musical act is two ten-minute scenes, the first one titled “The Last Time We Saw Her,” directed by Benjamin Morales and starring Carlos Villatoro and Megan Montemurro. The second ten-minute scene is titled “Dialogues From the Diner,” written by senior Joon Ko, directed by Tyler Zeoli, and starring Amy Chan, Benjamin Morales, and April Carmine.

Up next was a very talented performance of “Broadway Here I Come” from the hit musical Smash by no other than THS President himself, Samuel Hoffman. Following the musical number is two more ten-minute scenes: “Stop Feeling” written by April Carmine, directed by Tyler Zeoli, and starring Marco Chiroboga and Keara Shea, and “Broken Hearts,” directed by Liora Hyman, and starring Liora Hyman, Shealyn Naughton, and Tannina Oukacine.

After that was a very lively performance of “We’re All in This Together” from High School Musical (just a bit shy of the ten year anniversary since the movie’s premiere on Disney Channel) and a very deep and reminiscent series of monologues by several senior actors and actresses, speaking about how they feel about their life here at Whitman, how the theater program has made an impact on them, and how it’s hard to say goodbye to it. We immediately transition into “Seasons of Love” from the Off-Broadway musical Rent, featuring the talented singing ability and showcasing the hard work THS has put into the show.

Following the conclusion of the show is the long-held tradition of giving roses to several of the seniors and who worked the show, including: Milly Le Claire, Megan Montemurro, Tyler Zeoli, Leah Cozart, Carlos Villatoro, Benjamin Morales, Pam Pulvirenti (Dance), Lizzie Mercurio (Dance), David Grey (Pit), Jefferson Hector (Pit), Colin Sherland (Pit), Alec Gonzalez (Pit), Jack Zuckerberg (Pit), Keya Bartolomeo (Pit), Brittany White (Pit Conductor), Nick McNulty (Backstage), Michael DiMaulo (Sound), Sean Conklin (Spotlight), Haley Tract (Makeup), Tina O’Donnell (Makeup), and Sabrina Greenberg (Makeup).

My personal favorite moments from the show is the opening number “Magic To Do” and Ifedayo Balogun’s solo in “Seasons of Love.” Overall, the audience was very satisfied and captivated for the duration of the show, and excited to shower the students with acclaim once they were let out into the lobby at the end of the show.

Good job THS! We cannot wait for your performance of Hairspray in April!