Published: October 12, 2008 01:39 am            

CURTAIN CALL: Accolade for ‘Aida’ and busy stage season

Amid the hustle and bustle of a busy fall theatre schedule, a local play from last year has been nationally recognized. Floyd Central and New Albany High Schools' performance of the Broadway musical “Aida” has received an Honorable Mention for the USA Today High School Musical Show Stopper Award. The show, which was performed in November of 2007, was nominated in June and selected out of over 700 nominations.

This is not the first time the schools have found themselves on such a list; in 2007, Floyd Central's production of “Beauty and the Beast” landed in the top five while New Albany's “Disney’s High School Musical” garnered an Honorable Mention.

HIGH SCHOOL NOTES

• Floyd Central High School will continue its run of “Little Shop of Horrors” at 2 p.m. today and Oct. 19 and at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17-18. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $6 for students. Reservations may be made by calling 812-923-8811 and pressing #7. Floyd Central is located at 6575 Old Vincennes Road, Floyds Knobs.

• Providence High School will close its production of “Twelve Angry Jurors” at 8 p.m. today. Tickets are $10. Providence is located at 707 Providence Way, Clarksville.

• Charlestown High School will present “Johnny Brooke: A Ghost Story” at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 and 25 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 26. The play follows the story of a family who lives in a house that is supposedly haunted because Johnny Brooke, a 17-year-old senior, died in the garage over 40 years ago. The doors will open one hour before show time. Tickets, which can be purchased at the door, are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Charlestown High School is located at 1 Pirate Place, Charlestown.

• The Silver Creek Theatre Department will present Stage Fright Dinner Cabaret at 7 p.m. Oct. 30-31 and Nov. 1. Dinner guests will sit on stage over an open pit, warmed by a fire, but should be aware of the spooks and monsters lurking about. Tickets are $15 by reservation only. Call 812-246-7440 for ticket reservations or more information. Silver Creek High School is located at 557 Renz Dr., Sellersburg.

• The Clarksville High School Ensemble Studio Theater will present “Dracula” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30-Nov. 1 and Nov. 6-8. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students with an ID. Due to the graphic nature of the production, children under 10 are not permitted. Clarksville High School is located at 800 High School Dr., Clarksville.

• Christian Academy of Indiana will perform “Our Town” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7-8 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 9. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets are available at 812-941-6200. Christian Academy is located at 2000 Academy Drive, New Albany.

• Rehearsals are now underway for Jeffersonville High School's performance of “The Secret Garden.” The show will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6-8 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 9. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and seniors. Group rates are available for organizations with 10 or more purchasing tickets. JHS, in conjunction with the ITS Thespian Society Troupe 3860, recently hosted its Opening Act banquet and ceremony to kick off the season. There were over 300 people in attendance, and new Thespians inducted into Troupe 3860 include Adam Aldridge, Stephanie Allen, Denal Alli, Satonia Bell, Shwan Billups, Sal Blake, Bryan Cohen, Daniel Cole, TaSherrah DeShazier, Kelsey Duncan, Britani Frazier, Mariah Gardner, Kayla Gallahar, Andrew Garrett, Katie Gibson, Alex Graham, Noelle Hilsenbeck, Courtney Klontz, Taylor Lee, Sydney McClure, Evan Nunn, Errol O'Conner, Nikki Osborne, Kristen Pollock, Andrea Shaw, Doug Smith, Ethan Stewart, Sarah Stubblefield, Paige Sullivan, Nichole Thomas, Alex Vaughn, Zach Vincent, Keith Wheatley and Shelby York.



ON OTHER STAGES

• Derby Dinner Playhouse is currently showing the Peter Gordon mystery comedy “Secondary Cause of Death” which runs through Nov. 9 and tells the of Col. Craddock who has inherited a bed and breakfast when his guests begin turning up dead. Inspector Pratt brings bad news for the colonel, a guest arrives to stage a murder mystery weekend and before long, the inspector’s visit becomes a nightmare with the body count climbing.

• Also playing at Derby Dinner is “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” which is part of its Children’s Musical Theatre Series. There will be public breakfast and lunch performances Oct. 18, 25 and Nov. 1 with breakfast at 9 a.m. and lunch at noon. A kid-friendly menu is featured and performances, which are best suited for ages 3-12, are one hour in length. Call 812-288-8281 for all ticket information or visit www.derbydinner.com. Season subscriptions for this series are also on sale. Derby Dinner Playhouse is located at 525 Marriott Drive, Clarksville.

• The Drama Studio will present “I Never Sang for My Father” at 3 p.m. today and at 8 p.m. Oct. 17-18. The show, directed by Debra Rice Endris, is about Gene who has a troubled relationship with his 80-year-old father that he must deal with after the sudden death of his mother. Gene tries to find a way to have affection for his father, but finds himself unable to have a loving and understanding relationship with his father who cannot love someone. Reserved seating tickets are $14 and can be made at 812-284-0280 ext. 2 or by e-mail at InTheDramaStudio@aol.com. The Drama Studio performs at the Encore Performing Arts Center, 128 East Bell Ave., Clarksville.

• The Indiana University Southeast Theatre Department will open their production of “The Shadow Box” Oct. 24. The play centers around three terminally ill cancer patients coming to terms with their conditions as they are visited by family and friends. The production runs Oct. 24-26 and Oct.31-Nov. 2. Look for more information to come! Indiana University Southeast is located at 4201 Grant Line Road, New Albany.

• The Wayward Actors Company will present “Sherlock Holmes and the Crucifer of Blood” at 8 p.m. Oct. 24-25, Oct. 31-Nov. 1 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 2. The play by Paul Giovanni is based on the characters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and mainly draws from Doyle's story “The Sign of Four.” It is set in 1887 and concerns the Agra Treasure, which was stolen 30 years earlier by two English officers who are then cursed. The Wayward Actors show will be performed at the MeX Theater, The Kentucky Center, 501 West Main Street, Louisville.

• The Clarksville Little Theater's next show will be “The Curious Savage,” directed by Craig Nolan Highley, and will run Nov. 7-9 and Nov. 13-15. Look for more information to come!



Katy Goodman is a freelance writer from New Albany. She can be reached by e-mail, or by phone at 812-945-6889. If you would like to list something in Curtain Call, please submit before Mon. Oct. 20.

        

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