Tom TitusOrange County’s two high schools for...

Tom Titus

Orange County’s two high schools for the performing arts are joining

forces this weekend and going “Into the Woods” to raise funds for

their respective programs in the theatrical equivalent of an all-star

game.

Top performers from the Huntington Beach Academy for the

Performing Arts and the Orange County High School for the Arts,

located in Santa Ana, will show their stuff in the Stephen Sondheim

fractured fairy tale musical Friday and Saturday only in the

Huntington Beach High School auditorium.

The fund-raising project is the brainchild of Tim Nelson, who just

finished staging “The Music Man” for the Huntington Beach academy,

and Teri Ralston, who directed “Side Show” at Orange County High

School for the Arts -- recruiting Nelson, who’d just done the show at

Huntington Beach High, as her musical director.

“Teri and I enjoyed each other’s company and wanted to do another

project that could feature the incredible talent of APA and OCHSA

together,” Nelson said. “So we came up with ‘Into the Woods.’ ”

Nelson and Ralston elected to make the show a “seniors only”

production, selecting the talent from each school by invitation only.

“Since I had worked with all of them from both schools, I knew it

would be right,” he said.

The show is being staged as a benefit for both schools’ programs,

with the organizational duties being split down the middle, as with

the casts. The academy is hosting and providing technical support,

while the Orange County group is handling the publicity. Nelson and

Ralston are co-directing with the academy’s Diane Makas-Weber

choreographing the show.

“We are paying for royalties only,” Nelson said. “Every other

expense is being donated. The cast is comprised of 10 seniors from

APA and 10 from OCHSA.”

The Huntington High performers are Ryan Hill (narrator), Amie

Shapiro (Cinderella), “D” Pull (Jack), Rachel Pupa (Jack’s mother),

Alie Gibbons (stepmother, Natalie Kollar (stepsister), Courtney Gates

(giant), Savanna Saatjian (Sleeping Beauty) and Joanne Childers (Snow

White.) The latter two also will alternate as Cinderella’s mother.

Lending their talents from Orange County High will be Teanna Berry

(witch), Ryan McKenian (baker), Julia Loofbourrow (baker’s wife),

Elyse Beyer (Red Riding Hood), Tom Hennes (wolf/prince), Jenna Daley

(stepsister), Jeremy Heckman (Cinderella’s father), Matt Groover

(steward) and Brandy Warren (Granny).

Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and tickets are $10

for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Reservations may

be obtained by calling the academy at (714) 536-2514, ext. 302, or Orange County High School at (714) 564-3282.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Independent.