School plays, concerts signal busy spring ahead
The curtain is just opening for a new season of youth plays and concerts across the Grand Strand, so grab the calendar and circle some dates to get out and see youngsters in the community belting out dialogue and melodies on stage.
Myrtle Beach High School just finished its Valentine’s Day weekend of going “Into the Woods,” and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” will swim into Socastee High School all next weekend.
Farrah Beaudry, choral director at Socastee High, said last week that students are rehearsing for 11 shows in all: six for the public – 7 p.m. Feb. 25-28, and 3 p.m. Feb. 27-28 – as well as five matinees to entertain students on field trips from other Horry County Schools, and a premiere show to thank the slew of community sponsors for their massive support, with funds for advertising, food, and playbill ads.
“Mary Poppins” will pack Carolina Forest High School’s auditorium for shows at 7:30 p.m. March 16-19, and 3 p.m. March 19-20.
Becky Bannon, who assists Wayne Canady, director of the school’s theater department for all of its main stage shows, addressed all the preparations that go into a production, even adapting for a part originally played in the 1964 Disney movie by creatively drawn-in, dancing penguins.
“If the Broadway production of ‘Mary Poppins’ called for real penguins,” Bannon said, “you can rest assured that we would have them. The stage version substitutes the animation with a colorful park scene where the statues come alive.”
Osagie Ehigie, who teaches dance education and arts management at Black Water Middle School in Conway, is planning two shows for troupes there this spring. He beamed with excitement about an invitation to join the fourth annual “Waves of the Future: Rotary’s Celebration of Horry County Schools,” a benefit on April 17 at the Calvin Gilmore Theater in Myrtle Beach for the Chicora Rotary Club and fine arts programs in Horry County Schools.
Ehigie said Black Water Middle School will be “the first official all dance performance in the history of this event.” Besides taking a group of seventh-graders for this honor, he’ll join them on stage with his own part in that spectacular.
“As a gift for their hard work,” Ehigie said, “I will be buying new costumes for the girls and boys, as well as new shoes for the girls, at no cost to parents. I want the kids to go out and do their very best while looking like a million bucks. This is a huge accomplishment for us.”
Black Water students also will step out for their “Spring Dance Showcase: Old Glory,” May 17-18 at the school, on East Cox Ferry Road,between S.C. 90 and U.S. 501.
Various shows also abound with youngsters who invest free time in the arts, after school. They include the Stagestruck Players’ “Thoroughly Modern Millie Junior,” March 11-20 at Brunswick Little Theatre in Southport, N.C.; Coastal Youth Ballet Theatre in “The Sleeping Beauty,” April 15-17 at Beach Church, just west of Myrtle Beach; and Coastal Youth Theatre Arts School concluding its spring semester of classes by putting “James and the Giant Peach Jr.,” May 13-15 at the Main Street Theatre in Conway, home of Theatre of the Republic.
Contact STEVE PALISIN at 843-444-1764.
If you go
Socastee High School
WHERE: 4900 Socastee Blvd., near Dick Pond Road
WHO/WHAT, WHEN AND HOW MUCH:
▪ Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” 7 p.m. Feb. 25-28, and 3 p.m. Feb. 27-28. $12 or $18.
▪ “Broadway and Beyond,” by Socastee Show Choirs, with classic and new musicals, 7 p.m. May 6-7. $5.
INFORMATION: 843-293-9041 or www.socasteeperformingarts.com
Second annual ‘Showcase of Talent’
BY: River Oaks Elementary School
WHEN: 7 p.m. March 11
WHERE: Ocean Bay Middle School, 905 International Drive, west of U.S. 17 and S.C. 31
HOW MUCH: $5
INFORMATION: 843-903-6300
‘The Lion King Jr.’
BY: Aynor Elementary School
WHEN: 7 p.m. March 11-12
WHERE: Aynor High School, 201 Jordanville Road
HOW MUCH: $5 adults, $3 students
INFORMATION: 843-488-7070
Carolina Forest High School
WHERE: 700 Gardner Lacy Road, off U.S. 501, Myrtle Beach
SPRING PLAY: “Mary Poppins,” 7:30 p.m. March 16-19, and 3 p.m. March 19-20. $20.
SHOW CHOIRS’ CONCERTS:
▪ “Women’s Night Out,” by Women’s Choir, 7 p.m. April 8-9, in fundraiser for trip to compete this spring in Williamsburg, Va. $10.
▪ “Show Up, Show Off” competition piece, 3 p.m. April 17. Free; suggested $5 donation as fundraiser for troupe travels.
▪ “Showstoppers,” with ShowCase, along with Women’s and Intermediate show choirs, 7 p.m. May 13-14 and 6 p.m. May 15. $7.
INFORMATION: 843-236-7997 or www.cfhsshows.com
‘Back to the ’80s: The Totally Awesome Musical’
WHEN: 7 p.m. April 7-9 and 2 p.m. April 9-10
WHERE: North Myrtle Beach High School, 3750 Sea Mountain Highway, Little River
HOW MUCH: $10 ages 19 and older, $8 ages 6-18.
INFORMATION: 843-399-6171 or nmbhshows@gmail.com
Fourth annual ‘Waves of the Future: Rotary’s Celebration of Horry County Schools’
BY: Chicora Rotary Club, with performances by students from 24 Horry County Schools
BENEFITING: Fine arts programs in Horry County Schools, and local and international Rotary projects such as polio eradication, the Dictionary Program, and Project Happy Feet.
WHEN: 4 p.m. April 17
WHERE: Calvin Gilmore Theatre, on U.S. 17 Business at U.S. Bypass on northern tip of Myrtle Beach.
HOW MUCH:
▪ Advance through April 10 – $19.95, $24.95 or $39.95 ages 17 and older; $9.95, $14.95 or $19.95 ages 3-16.
▪ Week of event – $24.95, $29.95 or $45.95 ages 17 and older; and same aforentioned rates for ages 3-16.
ALSO: Every paid ticket to Waves of the Future will include a non-transferable voucher to attend a performance of “The Carolina Opry” or “Time Warp” – up to $49.40 retail value – for any performance, April 11-23.
INFORMATION: chicorarotary.org/waves-of-the-future/
‘Spring Dance Showcase: Old Glory’
WHERE: Black Water Middle School, 900 E. Cox Ferry Road, Conway, between S.C. 90 and U.S. 501
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. May 17-18
HOW MUCH: $5
INFORMATION: 843-903-8440
‘Annie Jr.’
WHEN: 6 p.m. May 26
WHERE: Loris Middle School, 5209 Highway 66
HOW MUCH: $5
INFORMATION: 843-756-2181
Other youth performances
‘Thoroughly Modern Millie Junior’
BY: Stagestruck Players
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. March 11-12 and 18-19; and 3 p.m. March 13 and 20.
WHERE: Brunswick Little Theatre, 8068 River Road SE, Southport, N.C.
HOW MUCH: $20 adults, $12 students with ID.
INFORMATION: 910-447-2586 (BLT6) or www.brunswicklittletheatre.com
‘The Sleeping Beauty’
BY: Coastal Dance Centre’s Coastal Youth Ballet Theatre, with studios in Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet
WHEN: 7 p.m. April 15 and 4 p.m. April 16-17.
WHERE: Beach Church, 557 George Bishop Parkway, just west of Myrtle Beach, between U.S. 501 and U.S. 17 Bypass.
HOW MUCH: $20 ages 13 and older ($25 after March 31), and $10 ages 3-12.
INFORMATION: 843-839-5678, 843-651-2006 or www.cybt.org
Long Bay Symphony Youth Orchestra
WHAT: Spring concert
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. April 27
WHERE: CCU’s Wheelwright Auditorium, on main campus, off U.S. 501 and S.C. 544 in Conway.
HOW MUCH: $10 adults, $5 students.
INFORMATION: 843-448-8379 or longbaysymphony.com
Coastal Youth Theatre Arts School
WHAT: “James and the Giant Peach Jr.”
BY: Children 8 and older enrolled in spring session of Theatre of the Republic’s after-school acting classes on Mondays (Semester start Feb. 22, with tuition of $475; details at www.coastalyouththeatre.com, or email Lunda Cornelius, director, at lundacornelius@gmail.com.)
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. May 13-14 and 3 p.m. May 15 – with possible matinees for local schools on May 13.
HOW MUCH: $15 adults and $7 children.
INFORMATION: 843-488-0821 or www.coastaluouththeatre.com
21st annual Dance Recital
BY: Litchfield Dance Arts Academy, based at 97 Otis Drive, Litchfield Beach.
WHEN: June 5, with preshow at noon, Act I at 2 p.m., and Act II at 4 p.m.
WHERE: Waccamaw High School, 2412 Kings River Road, Pawleys Island.
HOW MUCH: $15 ages 3 and older, otherwise free.
INFORMATION: 843-237-7465 or www.litchfielddance.com
This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "School plays, concerts signal busy spring ahead."