WAKEFIELD, MA – Wakefield Memorial High School Theater Arts is proud to announce a World Premiere concert called All Together Now! Performances will be held on November 12 and 13 at 7:30pm at the Galvin Middle School Auditorium (525 Main Street, Wakefield MA 01880). Tickets range from $5-$25 and are available at www.wakefieldtheater.org and will be available at the door one hour before the show.
All Together Now! features songs from a variety of musicals including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Come From Away, Disney’s Newsies, Fiddler on the Roof, Godspell, Guys and Dolls, Les Misérables, Matilda, Once on This Island, Waitress, and many more!
Written and directed by Will Karvouniaris, the theater advisor at Wakefield Memorial High School, this performance marks the first in-person WMHS Theater production since March 2020. The concert is music directed by Brendan Kenney and Ana Morel, with choreography by Becca Flint and Maura Lyons. Additional production support is provided by Tom Bankert and Becky Jo Roland.
“I’m really excited to bring this concert to Wakefield,” said director Will Karvouniaris. “It’s the perfect way to bring our audiences back. Wakefield will be one of 2,500 theaters around the world to produce this concert over the production weekend. When we were crafting this show, I specifically had Wakefield audiences in mind. Not only will the show challenge our students, but the show will allow us to bring some of the most memorable moments of WMHS Theater history back to our stages.”
MTI’s President and CEO, Drew Cohen stated, “MTI’s All Together Now! is about bringing people back to the theatre, whether as audience members or cast, crew and musicians. The revue features songs from the world’s most iconic musicals, so there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy. Our goal with this worldwide event is for organizations to provide hope, inspiration and excitement to their communities through the transformative power of musical theatre.”
Hosted by WMHS Theater alum Daniel Reardon, the production features over 20 current students from grades 8-12. Starring in the current production are WMHS students Zachariah Baumhardt, Bridget Breda, Erin Caldo, Bella Camuso, Sienna Catizone, Blai Earley, Ally Forti, Lilah Hatheway, Rachel Hoffman, Owen Kelley, Brendan Leane, and Michaela Lyons.
The production is stage managed by students Jamie Murray and Elena Lotti. Lighting is designed by Greg Nelson and operated by students Shahbaz Anwar and Molly Wieneke. Sound design is by Jacob Peavey and managed by students Maggie Fournier and Elizabeth Leon.
The concert also features Galvin Middle School eighth graders Hailey Allocco, Samantha Brudnick, Naya Chankhour, Alice Getty, McKayla Herzog, Colbie Johnson, Teagan Sparhawk, Lucy Spry, and Abby Stratton.
Alumni performances include former WMHS Theater teacher Emily Holmes, Mat Stanley, Carley Buckley, Emily Mayne, Kaitlin Donovan, Jared Spies, and Andrew Costello.
A special performance from Disney’s Newsies will be performed by North Reading High School’s Masquers, featuring direction by Allison Kane, choreography by Chrissy Bowman, and music direction by John Eldridge.
The concert will be accompanied by Wakefield’s own Firebird Pops Orchestra, under the direction of WMHS Alum and concert co-Music Director, Brendan Kenney. The orchestra received local and national media attention following the releases of their virtual collaborations last year, and will have 30 musicians participating in the event.
“This is truly an exciting full circle moment for the Firebird Pops! Founded as a Wakefield-based nonprofit orchestra to provide virtual performance opportunities during the pandemic, we are thrilled to celebrate the return of live performance while supporting this World Premiere and the performing arts in town,” said Brendan Kenney, co-music director for the concert. “Fostering the performing arts in our community is a core part of FPO’s mission, and this is the perfect occasion for us to partner with the WMHS Music Department that gave me, and even some of the musicians, our start in music.”
“We are incredibly excited to celebrate the return of live theatre with performances of All Together Now!,” stated Tom Bankert, Wakefield’s Director of Visual and Performing Arts. “The past year has been a challenging time for everyone, particularly arts organizations. We look forward to welcoming our patrons back with this truly wonderful concert.”