A musical remembrance of Sept. 11

Tom Titus

Not that anyone could ever forget, but the Academy for the Performing

Arts will present “A Time to Remember -- Sept. 11, 2001” with a benefit

performance honoring the heroes of that day, which will live equally in

infamy with Dec. 7, 1941.

The gala event -- which will feature reprise moments from the

academy’s recent theater season -- will be staged Saturday, June 1, at

7:30 p.m. in the Huntington Beach High School auditorium.

The students will present excerpts from the 2001-02 season of shows --

“Once on This Island,” “The Elephant Man,” “Gypsy: and “You Can’t Take It

With You” -- along with highlights from dance and music concerts.

“APA’s students will commemorate in song and dance the many families

affected by the events of Sept. 11, 2001,” explained spokeswoman Joyce

Walder. “In support and remembrance of our troops far from home, students

and representative service personnel will be accepting donations of

videos, DVD, music CDs and books to lighten the off-duty hours of those

fighting to preserve our freedom.”

A highlight of the program will be a presentation by academy seniors

-- a song comprised of a verse from all eight musicals that were

performed during their four years at the academy.

The commemorative event grew out of a student campaign to contribute

to Operation Enduring Freedom. During the second semester, Sharley Walder

started a Books for the Troops drive, and that was expanded to include

the videos, DVDs and games.

“They have a small morale tent at Kandahar that has a video/DVD

player,” Walder said. “I talked to an air crew member that flies on C-17s

directly into Afghanistan and he said there are several places that don’t

have these luxuries and they would really enjoy the books, games and

magazines.” “Another thing he said they’d love to have is powdered

pre-sweetened drink mix to add to their water,” she added. “Nabisco has

donated snacks that I’m sure they will appreciate. I have started several

things on their way with the help of the 730 ALS at March Air Reserve

Base. Enclosed in each box is an e-mail address for soldiers to write and

ask for specifics, so we’re hoping to hear what we can do to help out the

troops even more.”

The June 1 gala will support both the troops and the academy’s

performing arts program. Tickets are $25 for orchestra seats and $15 for

balcony, and information is available at (714) 536-2514, Ext. 302.

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While on the subject of Huntington Beach’s Academy for the Performing

Arts, it’s appropriate to recognize some of the student achievers from

the program.

Kirby Killam, a dance major, was awarded a $20,700 scholarship to

study dance and public relations at Southern Methodist University. Killam

also shared the Huntington Beach Playhouse’s Laverne Pilkerton

Scholarship with Steven Chaves (instrumental music) and Kyle Orosz

(acting).

Academy for the Performing Arts member Eugenie Shieh will be the

valedictorian at Fountain Valley High School and plays the violin in the

academy orchestra. She and four other orchestra members will join her

sister, Karin Shieh, at Harvard in the fall.

The June 1 gala will feature Katherine McLaughlin, the only senior

girl to have been cast in all eight main stage musicals throughout her

academy career. She will be going to UC Irvine as a musical theater

major.

Jesse Gonzales, who performed in many musicals and dance concerts at

academy, plans to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New

York.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Independent.