WEST ORANGE, NJ — The fifth annual Broadway Night, held at West Orange High School on Oct. 19, regaled the appreciative audience with students’ musical interpretations of classic and lesser-known show tunes that rivaled a professional production.
“When we began the glee choir back in 2015, we only performed as part of the regular choral concerts, and I wanted to give the students in this group their own performance,” choir director John Hellyer said. “The glee choir sings either pop songs or songs from Broadway musicals. Since many of the students involved in glee are also in the spring musical and theater classes, I made the decision to have the group have its own night of musical theater songs.”
To give the evening a less formal coffeehouse atmosphere, the Tarnoff Cafeteria was selected as the venue so that coffee and desserts could be served during intermission. Included in the price of admission, it became a successful component of the evening.
“When we held our first concert in 2017, I was hoping to raise some money to buy the students new glee T-shirts,” Hellyer said. “We had such an amazing turnout that in 2018 we decided to start a fundraiser to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, a charity with strong ties to the Broadway community.”
Hellyer worked for years in music and theater in New York City, in addition to teaching music and choir at Liberty Middle School and West Orange High School. Having directed several musicals in West Orange over the past 15 years, it seemed natural to Hellyer to create a night dedicated to Broadway tunes.
He contacted Michael Di Bianco, director of education and outreach for Broadway Cares. Di Bianco provided materials and resources, while the WOHS Music Boosters assisted with setup and offset the cost of the event.
When it came to planning the show’s set list, Hellyer chose the songs for the full group performances.
“Sometimes we use songs we performed in the previous spring choir concert. It’s a big undertaking to put on a full concert just five to six weeks into the school year, so a little ‘recycling’ helps us out,” Hellyer said. “For example, last year we filmed a virtual Broadway Night and our closing video was ‘From Now On’ from ‘The Greatest Showman.’ That song opened the concert this year and we changed how it was sung with different soloists, but the refrain, ‘and we will come back home, home again,’ was a really beautiful way to welcome us back into this performance space after two years away.”
In addition, Hellyer may select songs for students that he feels will showcase their talent and challenge them.
“The solos, duets and trios that the students perform are selected in several different ways,” Hellyer said. “Sometimes I’ll think of a song for a dedicated, talented standout and tell them about it the year before so they can get it ready. Sometimes a student comes to me with a song and auditions to see if it will fit the program. And sometimes I’ll hear a new student and think of a song that would work for them or a small group. So, it’s a combination of inspirations.”
According to Hellyer, thanks to the hard work of the students, the night was a grand success.
“We successfully lobbied to ensure that it happened in person and we had a full and enthusiastic audience,” Hellyer said. “The students performed so beautifully and with such heart and talent, I cried several times. The students should be incredibly proud of themselves for how professionally they performed. What I love about these students is how supportive they are of each other. Every solo, duet and trio was met with genuine kudos from peers and audience alike.
“Broadway Night is special because it is the only thing we do all year that is dedicated to that musical theater pizzazz,” he continued. “West Orange has many residents who work in the theater industry and I think that spirit trickles down to the students and they really work hard to put on a great show each year.”
Photos Courtesy of WOSD
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