Meet the cast of “On Broadway: Directors’ Choice”

Meet the cast of “On Broadway: Directors’ Choice”

Caleigh Bartholomew: Caleigh is in 5th grade at Harry Hoag Elementary. She was previously seen in the Sound of Music, and was set to play little Cosette in Les Miserable last spring. “I would like to thank my parents and grandparents for all the rides to rehearsals. Thanks to Mrs. Broady for all of her hard work, and thank you to all of the people who make rehearsals amazing!”

Jayden Bentz: Jayden is the 10th grade at Canajoharie High School. She has been in several drama club productions. Singing is one of Jayden’s all-time favorite things to do! (From Mrs. Broady: Jayden is always such fun to work with! She loves being on stage so much that sometimes we can’t get her off! Great job this year kiddo!)

Musical Director Norma Bowley: “The Broadway Review has been a project which allowed our students to shine! There were more soloists and lead singers than usual, plus, since the groups on stage were always 11 or less, every singer grew in independence and confidence, because, well, they had to! Singing songs from past shows brought back good memories, and the new songs brought fresh challenges and fun! Thank you to Will and Lauri for their creativity, perseverance and leadership. Thank you to the students, parents, and school administration for supporting this unique production in our club’s history.”

Hannah Briggs: Hannah is a senior at Fort Plain High School. She will attend college for Speech Pathology this fall. Hannah was in our elementary drama productions when she was young, and we are delighted to have her back with us for her final year. “I want to thank the whole cast for welcoming me back into drama after not being a part of it since 4th grade. I also want to thank the two people who made drama so fun and supported me through it all – Sarah and Howie thank you for everything and for begging me to be a part of this show! Mrs. Broady and Mr. Ryan, thank you for helping me and getting me through my first solo!”
Faith Clark: Faith is in the 6th grade Fort Plain Elementary. Despite her young age, Faith is a seasoned club member having debuted at Gretl in The Sound of Music in 4th grade. “I’d like to thank my friend Anya for putting up with me singing so much. I’d also like to thank my dad for all those rides with Broadway music blasting! Lastly, I’d like to thank my mom for making me exist and being able to do this.”

Emery Frew: Emery is in the 7th grade at Canajoharie Middle School. She has participated with the summer drama club and this is her first high school drama club show. Emery thanks her family for the support and everyone for watching this production. (Mrs. Broady says: Emery is a constant delight who brings a fresh perspective to even the most mundane things. I look forward to working with you for many years to come, Em! But keep your shoes on!)

Alexandria Gyurik: Alex is in the 8th grade at Canajoharie Middle School. Alex has been seen in several productions. “I would like to thank my parents for driving me to rehearsals and listening to me practice endlessly. I would also like to thank my friends who made all of the rehearsals so much fun! I want to thank Mrs. Broady and Mr. Ryan (Mrs. Broady says that rehearsals wouldn’t be as fun if she didn’t get to say ‘Alex, chill’ at least three times a night!) I can’t wait to do the next play with you guys again!

Howie Kelley: Howie is a senior at Fort Plain High School. He will attend Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Services this fall, studying to become a PA. “I want to thank Mr. Ryan and Mrs. Broady for all of their help both on and off the stage. I also want to thank the amazing Mrs. Bowley for using her usual expertise to keep me singing the right notes. I want to thank Sophia and Mr. Ryan for getting me to join drama club last year, and finally I want to thank my beautiful girlfriend Hannah, especially for overcoming her fears and actually singing on stage (finally!)”

Jasmine Lapi: Jasmine is in the 8th grade at Fort Plain Junior High School. She has been in a couple of productions and really made tremendous progress this year with her singing and stage presence. (From Mrs. Broady: Thank you Jasmine for always making your cast members laugh and for being willing to play my games no matter how silly! You have shown a great work ethic this year and we are very proud of you! And oh yeah, I know you meant to say how wonderful I am, so I am saying it for you! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!)

Lily Lapi: Lily is in the 6th grade at Harry Hoag Elementary. She has been in an elementary play, but this is her first high school club production. “Thanks to Faith and Grace for dealing with me, and my sister Jazzy for remembering the music.”

Grace McFee: Grace is in the 7th grade at Fort Plain Junior High. Grace has appeared in elementary shows, and this is her first high school club performance. “I would like to thank my mom and dad for all the rides. I would like to thank Faith and Lily for making practices fun, and thanks to Mrs. Broady for her hard work.”

Avery Merchant: Avery is a freshman at Canajoharie High School who has been in several drama club productions. “I would like to thank my friends Dawson and Alex for making rehearsals so enjoyable. I would also like to thank Mrs. Broady for working so hard so that we could have a show this year. Great job to the whole cast and crew!”

Chiarra Morris: Chiarra is a Sophomore at Canajoharie High School. She has been a member of the club for several years. “I want to thank my mom for her constant love and support. I would also like to thank the cast for making rehearsal such a fun environment, despite all of this year’s challenges.”

Michael Palmeri: Michael is a freshman at Fort Plain High School. He has appeared in several drama club shows, and loves to be on stage. (From Mrs. Broady: Michael has grown leaps and bounds both last year and this year – and has become a leader and a backbone of the harmony section. He tackles every song with gusto and I look forward to seeing the heights that his talents take him in future years!)

Anthony Paradiso: Anthony is a sophomore at Fort Plain High School. This is his third drama club show, and enjoys being both on stage and working on the set crew. (From Mrs. Broady: I can’t say enough about what a joy Anthony is to work with. He is a busy kid, yet always makes time to help whenever and wherever the club needs him. His enthusiasm is contagious and he makes rehearsals fun!)

Sarah Paradiso: Sarah is a senior at Fort Plain High School. She will attend Keuka College in the fall, to study Adolescent Education and play volleyball. Sarah has been with club for many years and has been a valued leader to all. “I would like to thank my family for supporting my decision to return after a few years away. I would like to thank the Mrs. Broady and Mr. Ryan, along with Mrs. Bowley, for taking me under their wings and helping me be the best I can be. I want to thank the drama family in general for accepting me and making me feel welcome!”

Macenzie Richtmyer: Max is a Junior at Canajoharie High School. The club is very lucky to have such a devoted member for many years now! “I would like to thank my parents for all the rides to practice even when they had to work. Also thanks to the cast for working so hard and making every rehearsal fun. Thanks to the directors for dealing with our shenanigans and jumping in on the fun at each rehearsal.”

Victoria Rocas: Tori is a senior at Canajoharie High School. She will attend college this fall. Tori has many drama club credits spanning many years with the club. “Thank you to Mr. Ryan and Mrs. Broady for being such amazing directors for the past decade. You have truly made my drama club years memorable and fun! I would like to thank my parents for always supporting me and helping wherever they could. Lastly, I would like to thank the wonderful friends that I have made during my years in that cast.”

Chad Rogers: Chad is in the 8th grade at Fort Plain Junior High. He has appeared in several shows. Chad thanks everyone for making this drama season so much fun. (From Mrs. Broady: it is a delight to watch Chad’s enthusiasm for all things singing and dancing. He has an electric personality that lights up the stage whenever he is on it! Thanks for coming and doing this show when I begged you to!! And sorry about all the times I messed up the letter spelling dance!)

Dawson Sweet: Dawson is a freshman at Canajoharie High School. He has been with the club for several seasons. (From Mrs. Broady: Dawson has truly found his voice this season! We have counted on him to lead the others again and again, and he has shined during his solo moments! I am so proud of your accomplishments! Thanks for being in the show!)

Matthew Travis: Matt is a senior at Fort Plain High School. He will attend HCCC for Physical Therapy in the fall. “I would like to thank my mom and all my friends for supporting me. I would also like to thank Mrs. Broady and Mr. Ryan for allowing me to be in the show, after not being in a play for many years.”

The Drama Club would like to thank:

• Mrs. Hill: for the awesome costumes. As always, we never have to worry because we know everyone will look amazing!
• The Canajoharie BOE, and Canjo Buildings and Grounds: for hosting us in your beautiful facility! Our kids are so lucky to have such a fabulous auditorium to work in.
• Mr. Bishop and the Fort Plain BOE: for allowing our club to operate and being committed to providing our students with the most opportunities they could during this tough time.
• Mr. Anker: for sharing the stage throughout this season and always being so willing to put up with our “stuff” hanging out in the wings.
• Bruce Dingman: for your help with our set building. You didn’t get to build anything fun like spiral stairs or crazy sets this time, but hey there’s always next year!
• Josh Thomas: for always being there to cover our events and tell the community about our terrific kids. Your support is truly appreciated!
• The families of our cast and crew: for the rides to rehearsals, for the costume pieces we needed, for always coming up with the stray prop we need to borrow, and for allowing us the great honor of working with your kids!
• Finally, many thanks for the undying support of Canjo Superintendent Dr. Nick Fitzgerald. You sat down and worked with us on a plan for this year, and did everything in your power to make sure that we had a chance to implement it. Thank you so much for always being there to lend support, give advice, and troubleshoot any concerns. We are so grateful!