GLEN RIDGE — The Gas Lamp Teens will be performing the popular musical “Fame” on Friday, Aug. 7, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 8, at 1:30 and 7 p.m., at the Ridgewood Avenue School auditorium.
With book by Jose Fernandez, music by Steve Margoshes and lyrics by Jacque Levy, the story is about a group of students at New York City’s prestigious High School of Performing Arts, their friendships and the rewards and perils of following a dream.
The musical, which, through years developed into a franchise, began as a 1980 movie with music by Michael Gore, then became the basis for a TV series, running six years and, with a rewritten score, was remade into a 1988 stage show. The 1980 title song, from the movie, was not changed during these iterations. It was sung by Irene Cara, who was in the movie, and won an Academy Award for best song. The lyrics were written by Dean Pitchford. Gore also won the Academy Award for best score. The movie generally received praise. Roger Ebert called it a genuine treasure, with BBC critic William Gallagher saying it was a “fairly horrible, entertaining story.”
“You come away from it with all your preconceptions about the glamour of show business wiped away and you can’t help but admire the characters who get through,” he said.
The Gas Lamp show, co-directed and choreographed by Emily Rozek and Steve Hogle, has a cast of 23, with no double-casting.
In an interview during a rehearsal break, Rozek said the movie and the musical are iconic, but the appreciation was also partly nostalgia.
“People connect to being a star,” Hogle added. “The idea of being on stage and performing goes through the generations. Most people take the easy way, but performers have decided on a competitive business.”
Rozek and Hogle were joined by some cast members: Sydney Medlar, a rising Glen Ridge High School junior, plays the tragic figure, Carmen, a talented performer obsessed with fame who leaves school her junior year for the West Coast; Olivia Thomas, a rising GRHS freshman, plays Serena, the shy one; Brayden Troche-Hayes, a rising Mount Kimberly freshman, plays Jack, a dyslexic dancer; and Daniel Shapiro, a rising Montclair High School freshman, plays Schlomo, a classical violinist and caregiver to the aspirants. The cast members spoke about their characters, but as with all Gas Lamp Teen productions, about the message they took away from the experience. To pursue a goal with any hope of success, they agreed a performance student, or any for that matter, needs a support system.
Sydney said her character, Carmen, gets a little too absorbed with the idea of fame.
“But I’ve always wanted to be a professional actor myself,” Sydney said, “so the part of Carmen speaks to me.”
Olivia spoke up.
“The whole point about Carmen is that she drops out her senior year,” she said, “but you need a good educational foundation for life.”
“You also need people to support you,” Sydney interjected.
Brayden said his character, Jack, basically strives to be a good dancer.
“But he has to repeat his sophomore year,” he said. “His support system is a teacher. Everyone else is telling him he can’t repeat a year and perform. Everyone needs a supportive teacher.”
Daniel, who plays Schlomo, the violinist/caregiver, said his character is Carmen’s support system.
“But she gets over-confident and self-absorbed,” he said. “After she dies, he writes a tribute song. They had started writing it together.”
“He didn’t want to let her go,” Sydney interjected. “Carmen thinks she’s found the right person, an agent who’ll be her support system. But Schlomo feared for her life.”
A fee will be charged for admission.
Photo by Daniel Jackovino
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