Encore: York County students celebrate end of spring musical season
If you go
What: Encore (a celebration of York County spring high school musicals)
When: 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 19
Where: Central York High School, 601 Mundis Mill Road, York
Cost: $12
Purchase tickets: Visit www.cyhspad.com or call 866-967-8167
Awards: Outstanding Female Performer, Outstanding Male Performer, Most Creative or Original Performance, Best Production Number, Best Small Ensemble Performance, Best Dance Performance, Judges' Award for Excellence and Best Overall Performance.
Thirteen schools. 500 students. One celebration of high school talent.
Encore, the 11th annual culmination to York County's high school musical season, returns to Central York High School this weekend.
On Sunday afternoon, cast members from 13 different high school plays will do their hair and makeup, put on their costumes and take the stage one last time before the official end to the spring musical season.
"I've had students tell me this is their favorite day of the year," Encore artistic director Lyn Bergdoll said. "They can't get around to see every production because a lot of them happen on the same weekend. So, this is a way they can see something from other schools."
Each high school will have the chance to perform an eight-minute selection from their musicals, she said. Audiences can expect to see a good mix of the classics like Dallastown Area High School's "Anything Goes" and more unfamiliar productions like Kennard-Dale High School's "Sweet Charity" or Hanover Senior High School's "Sunset Boulevard."
Bergdoll said she doesn't think a York County high school has ever done "Sunset Boulevard" before.
One of the more recognizable performances will be Northeastern High School's "Wizard of Oz." The cast will perform two classic numbers from the musical, "Over the Rainbow" and "King of the Forest," according to director John Marrs.
The 50 fourth and fifth graders that Marrs cast to play the munchkins won't make it to Encore, he said. But the audience can expect to see a special appearance from Lily, a Yorkie who made her acting debut as Toto this year. Sophomore Lauren Bass will play Dorothy in both scenes.
Other musicals audiences might recognize are Central York's "Peter Pan" and Eastern York's "Mary Poppins." Both productions used equipment that allowed their actors to fly across the stage, but that technology won't be available during Encore, Bergdoll said.
To conclude the performances and close out the season, four representatives from each school will perform the finale number "On Broadway" together on stage.
"For many of them, it's like the ultimate for them to be there with the cream of the crop and be a part of that one last number," Marrs said. "It's really a neat thing."
Before the night ends, scholarship and award winners will be announced. Encore is more than just performances, Bergdoll said. It's also a competition.
Three professionals from out of town will judge individual cast members and the musicals as a whole in several categories: Outstanding Female Performer, Outstanding Male Performer, Most Creative or Original Performance, Best Production Number, Best Small Ensemble Performance, Best Dance Performance, Judges' Award for Excellence and Best Overall Performance.
Each director will also give out individual awards to their own cast members.
Encore has also added three new scholarships to the event this year, Bergdoll said.
Any senior participating in Encore was eligible to apply for one of five $1,000 scholarships and one $2,000 scholarship, she said. Applications were judged on theater participation, community service, leadership and academics.
"It really puts the event at a new level," Bergdoll said.
Scholarship winners will be announced Sunday.
Encore musicals
Central York High School: "Peter Pan"
Dallastown Area High School: "Anything Goes"
Dover Area High School: "Fiddler on the Roof"
Eastern York High School: "Mary Poppins"
Hanover High School: "Sunset Boulevard"
Kennard-Dale High School: "Sweet Charity"
Northeastern High School: "Wizard of Oz"
South Western High School: "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"
Spring Grove Area High School: "Guys and Dolls"
West York High School: "Annie"
York Catholic: "Annie Get Your Gun"
York Suburban High School: "Once Upon a Mattress"
William Penn: "Aida"
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