The Hun School To Open South Pacific

Limited seating will be available at each performance

BY Ryan P. Egan
Princeton, NJ – Beginning Friday, February 20, 2009, The Hun School of Princeton will stage Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical South Pacific. The production boasts two starring casts that will share leading role performances throughout the two-weekend-engagement. Show times for Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8:00 p.m., while Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m.
Aaron Bogad, performance arts teacher at The Hun School and director of the production, draws from nearly twenty percent of the student body aspiring to be involved in this musical. The need for two casts, Mr. Bogad insists is not done to keep numbers high, but to honor the quality of each of the two sets of casts. “There is no cast that is weaker than the other. We were fortunate to get many talented students who wanted to be a part of this production,” Mr. Bogad explains.
Regardless of the number of cast members, Mr. Bogad selected South Pacific with a specific theme and hope for those involved. After reading Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener, the book for which South Pacific was adapted, Mr. Bogad came across a quotation which affected him deeply.
“They will live a long time, these men of the South Pacific. They had an American quality. They, like their victories, will be remembered as long as our generation lives. After that, like the men of the Confederacy, they will become strangers. Longer and longer shadows will obscure them, until their Guadalcanal sounds distant on the ear, like Shiloh and Valley Forge.”
The quotation resonated because, “Two of my grandfathers were in the South Pacific. I have already lost one, but I feel a personal connection to them through this show,” Mr. Bogad recalls. “The work I’m doing, in my own mind, with my own family [history] prevents these men from becoming strangers to me.”
As an exercise for his Janus Players, Mr. Bogad insisted that students research their own families for personal links to WWII and the Pacific Theater. Adam Mantell ’11 for example, will be playing the role of Louis Hagan. He ascribed his great-uncle’s persona to his character after learning that his maternal grandmother’s brother was killed in action in Iwo Jima and received (posthumously) a Purple Heart. Adam has a handful of lines, but brings to his role a strong familiar connection to his character. 
Similarly, Jennifer Schach ’09 researched her role, but was unable to find any family connections. Instead, Jennifer discovered a group of nurses known as the Angels of Bataan. She will be playing Jean Kennedy Schmidt, a nurse who, in 1942 was captured by the Japanese and imprisoned until 1945 along with seventy-six other nurses.
Jennifer’s research inspired other female cast members to take on the persona of these battlefield nurses. The nurses of the cast plan to honor this specific group of American heroes who are too often overlooked and sadly forgotten, despite their amazing contributions to the effort of this particular war.
Mr. Bogad’s insistence of his cast to discover the part they are playing provides the standard to which two separate, but equally qualified, casts bring to this performance. Much like the namesake of the group (Janus), Mr. Bogad has his performers draw from the past to bring a new and even current feel to a familiar musical. What the cast members who took the time to research their roles found provides an additional layer of understanding and of authenticity, but also a supplemental education of things household and obscure.
For this reason Mr. Bogad hopes that this particular production will seem both new and familiar all at once.
Tickets are available by reservation by contacting [email protected] starting Monday, February 2, 2009. Limited seating will be available at each performance. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students or seniors. Ticket stubs can be used for a $5 discount at subsequent performance.
Show times are:
February 20th, 8:00 p.m.
February 21st, 8:00 p.m.
February 22nd, 2:00 p.m.
February 27th, 8:00 p.m.
February 28th, 8:00 p.m.
March 1st, 2:00 p.m.
Cast:
Islanders
Emile DeBecque – Gabriel Fridkis ’10, Janak Tull ’09
Bloody Mary – Kristen King ’09, Sabrina Valentine ’09
Liat – Emily Hobson ’10, Alexandra Weinroth ’10
Josephine – Pepper Kolman (daughter of faulty members Mark and Amy Kolman)
Marthe – Riley Stevenson (daughter of faculty member Ken Stevenson)
Henry – Dillon Williams ’09
Marcel – Yiran Wang ’12
Bloody Mary’s Assistant – Abby Seitchik ’11
Officers and Base Staff/Personnel
Captain Brackett – Mr. Patrick Quirk (faculty)
Lt. Commander Harbison, Head Nurse and Administrative Officer – Ms. LeRhonda Greats (faculty)
Michener, a Historical Officer – Joseph Anthony ’12
McCaffrey, a radio operator – Dillon Williams ’09
Navy/Navy Air Force
Louis Hagan, a Sailor – Adam Mantell ’11
Jay Meikle*, a B-29 navigator – David Sharples ’10
Buzz Adams, a pilot – Mark Bergen ’09
Abner, a staff officer – Brendan Hanson ’10
Quail, a staff officer – Michael Christiansen ’09
Seabees
Luther Billis, a Seabee – Derek Delcore ’09, Christopher Miller ’10
Scooter – Michael Arditte ’10
Stewpot, a Carpenters Mate, 2nd Class – Brendan Dudeck ’10
West, a Seabee – Ammon Kansupada ’10
The Professor, a Seabee – Erik Snyder ’11
Curly, a Seabee – Connor Stevenson ’11
Army
Milton Bogad, a Mess Sergeant – Daniel Mintz ’11
Frank “Toots” Ryan – Shane McCullough ’10
Robert – Todd Coffin ’10
Marines
Lt. Joe Cable – John Gutierrez ’10, PJ Kirnan ’09
Frederick C. Branch* – Josiah Williams ’10
Howard P. Perry* – Julian Dandridge ’10
Nurses
Nellie Forbush – Averienne Epstein ’10, Katharine Melodia ’09
Marie – Julianna Bello ’12
Sue – Taylor Blanton ’10
Marjorie – Lindsay Browning ’10
Rose – Kaleigh Choi ’11
Betty – Amanda Eshleman ’09
Dinah – Hayley Lamendola ’09
Pamela – Laura Murphy ’09
Ruthie – Emma O’Connor ’11
Toni – Emily Pittenger ’11
Rita G. Palmer* – Tip Poolvoraluck ’09
Estelle – Alyssa Pone ’09
Jean Kennedy Schmidt* – Jennifer Schach ’09
Connie – Noel Shipp ’10
Janet – Abby Seitchik ’11
Betty Shea* – Emily Stout ’12
Cheryl – Victoria Van Heyst ’11
Kathleen – Fanny Wynn ’10
Dance Ensemble – Juliana Bello ’12, Victoria Bremer ’11, Lindsay Browning ’10, Kaleigh Choi ’11, Alyssa Pone ’09, Tip Poolvoraluck ’09, Alexandria Imbriale ’10, Alyssa Risoldi ’11, Anahi Ruiz ’11
Ensemble – Brittany Anderson ’11, Maria Bruzhayte ’09, Kelly Byrne ’12, Tatiana DiSanti ’10, Lulu Dessailly ’12, Kelly Flanagan ’10, Rachel Greene ’10, Eunice Kimm ’10, Emily Kuchar ’12, Noreen Mohsin ’11, Jaclyn Myers ’10, Cindy Pi ’11, Heidi Pi ’10, Katherine Stevenson ’12, Lisa Torquato ’11
Pit Band:
Student Music Director, Percussion – Kevin Clifford ’10
Student Music Director, Keyboards – Kate Willey ’10
Violin – Eric Chang ’10
Violin – Amrita Patnaik ’10
Violin – Todd Kelmar ’12
Cello – Dong Min Shin ’12
Bass – Sam Han ’10
Guitar – Jeffrey Sands ’09
Flute – Min Hae Do ’10
Flute – Erin Lee ’12
Clarinet – Susan Lee ’10
Saxophone – Morgan Leahy ’12
Trumpet – Mr. Richard Volz (faculty)
Keyboards – Dongwan Kim ’11
Percussion – Daniel Natan ’12
Crew:
Director – Mr. Aaron Bogad (faculty)
Choreographer – Ms. Lisa Yacomelli (faculty)
Music Director, Conductor – Mr. Mario Flores (faculty)
Vocal Director – Mr. James Mayo III (faculty)
Set Designer – Ms. Marisa Merrigan (consultant)
Costume Designer – Mr. Peter Mussared (consultant)
Sound Designer – Mr. Patrick Weaver (consultant)
Stage Manager – Michael Goldin ’10
Student Technical Director – Ryan Olson ’10
Assistant Stage Manager, Assistant Deck Captain – Gabriel Csapo ’13
Dance Captains – Lindsay Browning ’10, Alyssa Pone ’09
Light Board Operator, Lighting Apprentice – Katie Goitein ’10
Sound Board Op, Assistant Sound Designer – Jacob Vizzini ’12
Senior Carpenter, Deck Captain – Julia Wong ’09
General Crew – Matthew Head ’11, Daniel Janick ’10, Daniel Kuo ’09, Danial Manzoor ’10, Elisabeth Teixeira ’10, Olivier Van Pelt ’12
* indicates the portrayal of a veteran of the South Pacific.
About The Hun School of Princeton:
The Hun School of Princeton is an independent college preparatory school in Princeton, New Jersey. A co-educational day and boarding school, The Hun School serves 585 students from 16 states and 10 countries in grades six through post-graduate. For more information, please visit our website at www.hunschool.org