Arts in the News

This is the second year for the Class IV Follies, a revue of songs and scenes performed by Class IV students. The theme this fall is “The Four Seasons,” and the show will cycle through a year, beginning in spring. The performances range from acting to singing to instrumental music, says faculty member Eleza Kort, who is directing.

The new tradition began after years of discussion among performing arts faculty about how to best showcase the artistic aptitude of an incoming—and largely unknown—class of freshmen.

“We decided to put together a cabaret kind of show, built around the Class IV students,” Eleza says. “We have some students who come in with special talents, including a lot of wonderful instrumentalists, and some who want to try something new. We have some really spectacular moments.”

The Class IV Follies features performances from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Porgy and Bess, the Secret Garden, Field of Dreams, Dear Evan Hansen, Frozen and the Heidi Chronicles, among others. The Class IV Follies runs Thursday and Friday, November 1–2, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, November 3, at 7 p.m. in King Theatre.

The show is free and open to the public. Reserve tickets online.

Milton Academy’s jazz program hosts A Celebration of South African Jazz this Thursday evening in the Kellner Performing Arts Center. Led by music faculty member, Bob Sinicrope, Milton’s Advanced Jazz students will perform a musical tribute to Nelson Mandela, honoring the 100th anniversary of his birth.

The group has been feverishly preparing for the concert event over the last few weeks in Mr. Sinicrope’s Kellner classroom. Sounds of Free Nelson Mandela, Bring Back Nelson Mandela, Mandela by Abdullah Ibrahim and Full Nelson can be heard from the Arts Commons as students rehearse a medley of these songs. The group is also planning to play other Abdullah Ibrahim songs including The Wedding, The Mountain, African Market, Soweto is Where It’s At, Mannenberg and Tsakwe/Royal Blue. Also included on the bill are Meadowlands, Yakhal Inkomo and a special version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight/Mbube.

The concert, beginning at 7:45 p.m. on October 18 in King Theatre, is free and open to the public. No advanced tickets are required. If you are on campus, please join us in celebrating South African jazz and Mandela’s centenary.

Milton’s performing arts department has announced its fall productions. In addition to the Class IV Follies, students in Classes I–III will present The Addams Family and Antigone during the fall semester.

The Addams Family is a musical comedy and Antigone, a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles, will be presented as a 1212 Play. The 1212 play is a Milton tradition, offering an intimate theater experience, typically involving small casts, minimal technical demands, and often challenging material for the performers and the audience.

No prior experience is necessary for any of the fall productions. All Class IV students interested in the Class IV Follies will be accepted. Click here to download the Class IV Follies flyer.

What do a couple of ogres, an ensemble of fairytale characters, a magical curse, an evil lord, and a Pulitizer Prize-winning Milton alumnus have in common?

They will all be part of Milton’s production of Shrek The Musical, which opens Thursday, May 17, in King Theatre. David Lindsay-Abaire ’88, who wrote the Tony-nominated book and lyrics to the musical, is scheduled to attend the final performance and spend some time with the cast.

“There’s some pride among the cast and crew in knowing that he is one of us,” says director Peter Parisi, chair of Milton’s performing arts department. “It is a little intimidating to perform for the person who created the show, but it’s exciting for the students because they have Milton in common.”

Shrek The Musical, based on the popular 2001 movie, follows the adventures of a solitary (and surly) ogre named Shrek, who—with a chatty donkey named “Donkey”—reluctantly urges the evil Lord Farquaad to reverse a kingdom-wide ban on fairytale creatures. Shrek ends up saving the beautiful Princess Fiona, who has been cursed to turn into an ogre every night until she falls in love.

“When people hear that we’re doing Shrek, they think we’re doing this fluffy, light show,” Peter says. “But there are some really moving parts of the show. It’s about belonging, it’s about friendship, it’s about love. There is a song at the end of the first act that can really break your heart. Shrek dares to dream, but then he stops himself. It’s so beautiful and sad.

“But it’s a fairy tale story,” Peter adds. “So there’s always a happy ending.”

Ricky Lin (II) is playing Shrek; Fiona is played by Sophie Clivio (I); Donkey is played by Dylan Volman (I) and Esteban Gutierrez (II) is playing Lord Farquaad.

To show the insecure lord’s short stature, Esteban plays the entire show on his knees.

“I’ve found it incredibly fun to tackle the whole role on my knees. From the singing to the acting and to the dancing, Farquaad has been my favorite role at Milton,” Esteban says. “Farquaad is so much fun to play since he’s the complete opposite from who I am in real life. He has such an attitude in everything he does, and I find it so much fun to embrace that aspect of the character.”

“I love Fiona’s story,” Sophie says. “She goes on this incredible journey of self-acceptance, and through that journey, she learns to love the ‘ogre’ parts of her just as much as the ‘princess’ parts. I love that Fiona can be fun-loving and free-wheeling, but she gets down to business when it comes to her happiness and what she wants.”

Shrek is a complex production—many of the supporting cast members play two roles and the play calls for elaborate costuming and set design, as well as puppetry. It’s an “all hands on deck” show, with performing arts faculty members Ted Whalen, Kelli Edwards and Dar Anastas directing music, dance and stage design, respectively; Pam Walker designing costumes; science faculty member Gabrielle Hunt assisting and mathematics faculty member Michael Kassatly in the role of “Papa Ogre.”

“I hope that if anyone takes away anything from the show it is this: do not love yourself or others in spite of your flaws, love yourself, and them, including and because of those flaws,” Sophie says. “I hope the audience can see that everyone, no matter how put together they seem, is a weirdo, and that’s the beauty of life.”

In addition to the evening productions, Middle and Lower School students will be invited to witness the show’s dress rehearsal, which Peter says is “a really special way to include the whole community.” Shrek The Musical runs Thursday, May 17, through Saturday, May 19, at 7 p.m. in King Theatre.