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Community Corner

WHS Musical 'Anyone Can Whistle' Brings a 1960s Style, With Twists

Veterans are cordially invited to attend the final dress rehearsal on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m.

Westfield High School is bringing a 1960s style to its spring musical, Stephen Sondheim's romantic comedy "Anyone Can Whistle," which opens March 13.

From beehive hairdos to skinny ties, the show echoes the look popularized by the television show "Mad Men." 

But as anyone familiar with the school's innovative, award-winning theater department might suspect, there is a twist.

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"The style of the show is like Mad Men meets Dr. Seuss," said Alexa Derman, a senior, who is the show's head of hair and makeup. "'Anyone Can Whistle' is a traditional musical in a lot of ways, but it's also over the top and a little strange. We wanted the look of the show to reflect that."

Getting that "look" just right is the job of the show's technical crew, which handles sets, costumes, hair, makeup, props, lighting and sound.

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This year, there are more than 60 students involved in the tech crew. "We actually have more students working behind the scenes than on the stage," said stage manager Samantha Gruskin, also a senior.

"Anyone Can Whistle" tells the story of small-town mayor Cora Hoover Hooper, whose scheme to profit from a local "miracle" is sidetracked by an idealistic nurse, a charming doctor, and “the Cookies,” patients of the town's mental hospital. The show features many show-stopping songs and large dance numbers.

All this action takes places on a custom-built set that is not only colorful but innovative, with moveable pieces that enable the scenes to change in an instant -- from a small-town street to the interior of a hotel room.

The set was designed by Roy Chambers, an art teacher at the high school, and built by a team of students led by assistant technical directors Hannah MacKenzie and Jack Venezia, both seniors. A centerpiece of the set is a "miracle" rock that flows water, which has required the team to design and build a hidden system of pipes that can pump and re-circulate water on the stage. 

The characters in "Anyone Can Whistle" are meant to look like typical Americans from the time period, but many -- particularly the "cookies" -- will draw their looks from the colorful art of Roy Lichtenstein.

That pop-art look is seen in the show's poster, which was done by graphic designer Alex Palatucci, a senior. Her work also includes the large banner that will advertise the musical outside real estate agency Coldwell Banker's office on North Avenue beginning this week.  

The costume designer for "Anyone Can Whistle," sophomore Maddie Kevelson, said many of the show's dresses are actual 1960s outfits acquired from vintage clothing stores, estate sales and local collectors who were willing to loan their pieces to the show.

Sophomore Ellie Smith, who is in charge of props, also had to get creative to pull together her pieces. Her props list includes everything from a massage table to human-sized butterfly nets, which are being made out of hula hoops and tulle netting. 

Making everything, and everyone, on stage look and sound good is the job of the lighting and sound team. The lighting is designed by Sharp Edge Lighting Design of Hoboken, with the assistance of student technical leaders Matt Binkowitz and Mary Kate Miller.

This year's production will make use of a new light board, purchased through a $2,000 gift from the Westfield High School PTSO and a $5,000 donation from the Westfield Theatre Guild, a non-profit organization that supports theatrical performance at the high school. 

"The new light board will improve the quality of WHS shows, and it will provide an excellent opportunity for the tech crew to learn about modern lighting technology," said Binkowitz. Donations to the Westfield Theatre Guild can be mailed to 651 Coleman Place, Westfield.

Performances of "Anyone Can Whistle" will be Thursday, March 13; Friday, March 14; and Saturday, March 15. All shows are at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $12 each and can be purchased in advance at the web site www.ShowTix4U.com until 3 p.m. the day of the show. 

Although tickets for WHS spring musicals often sell out, any tickets not sold in advance will be available for sale at the door. Questions can be emailed to WHStickets@Westfieldnjk12.org.

In honor of the "cookies" that appear in the show, at each performance one lucky audience member will win a free tray of cookies, courtesy of Bovella's Bakery in Westfield.

Veterans are cordially invited to attend the final dress rehearsal on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m.

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