JM NY Arts Adventure

B6 | Chatham News + Record | APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2019 J-M’S NEW YORK ARTS ADVENTURE Back from the Big Apple Trip designed to help students ‘experience the best the world has to offer and get new perspectives that can change their lives’ (Editor’s note: Last week, eight upperclass artists from Jordan-Matthews High School in Siler City flew to New York City for five days over spring break to explore one of the world’s great cities, gain new perspectives that will influence their work, and experience the very best in theater, music and visual arts. They were accom- panied by Chip and Rose Pate of Pittsboro. Chip Pate, a marketing and public relations consul- tant, helped create JMArts with his wife, Rose, the media coordinator at Jordan-Matthews High School and president of Submitted photo the foundation. The couple planned every detail of Jennifer Henderson photographs one of the the adventure each year, flowers placed on the 9/11 memorial every day working with contacts in to commemorate the birthdays of those who lost New York City and the their lives during the terrorist attacks. eight student artists who are participating. Diary entries and photos from the trip were posted daily on the News + Record’s Facebook page last week. This week, the entries and photos are shared in print, along with an introduc- tion to the experience by Chip Pate.) BY CHIP PATE JMArts Foundation NEW YORK CITY — JM’s New York Arts Adventure is a lot. Submitted photo It’s a lively week for the student artists. In front of the Washington Square Arch in New York’s Greenwich Village. There are perfor- mances and art tours and discussions with world-class profession- als. Some late-night meals end the day after they begin. Supper on Friday at Dizzy’s Club overlooking Central Park actually began even later, with burg- ers, calamari and wings landing on the table just a few minutes after Submitted photo midnight, as trumpeter Group member Jennifer Henderson and the Bruce Harris and his Fearless Girl sculpture, now located on Wall Street band cruised through across from the New York Stock Exchange. their 75-minute jazz session. they could meet with the thing they experienced It’s a long year of students while they were is their new favorite planning. Every show, visiting the city. thing. Or how what they every activity, every It’s the generosity of just learned emboldened meal, every everything an entire community them to pursue a passion is selected and arranged back home. On first or changed the way they by the trip leaders after glance, this seems like a think about what their consulting with the eight fun spring break trip to futures can be. student artists making the Big Apple — and we That’s when you realize the journey. It would be hope it is. But it’s really it may be a lot. But given a lot easier contracting designed to help high the payoff, it’s not too with a tour company, but school artists experience much at all. Submitted photo that wouldn’t make the the best the world has to trip what it can be. offer and get new per- A flower placed on the 9-11 Memorial last Friday for Edward Lichtschein is It’s a fine balancing spectives that can change one of many placed each day to commemorate the birthday of those killed act. Which shows do you their lives. As people Tuesday with in the terrorist attacks. choose in a city with end- and organizations in our ‘Sleep No More’ less options? How can you community have learned make it work financially about that emphasis, BY LINDLEY for families? How much they have stepped for- ANDREW can you do in five days ward to help. without it becoming too The Wren Foundation This morning we much? provided a full student departed from RDU, and It’s the kindness of scholarship for the sec- after an hour in the air, world-class artists. Just ond year. The Galloway landed at LaGuardia look at this cast that sat Ridge Charitable Fund international airport. We down with JM artists this paid for students to see then took a van ride to year and then look up Plácido Domingo per- our hotel where we got their biographies: form at the Metropolitan our first true look at the Jessie Austrian, Opera and experience city. cofounder and co-ar- street art and graffiti Next, we took the tistic director for the technique. The Jor- subway to Ellen’s Star- renowned Fiasco The- dan-Matthews PTA made dust Diner, where we ate ater — someone who has a substantial contribu- lunch while listening to appeared as an actor on tion to reduce the cost waiters and waitresses, Broadway and recently for families. And several all of whom have been worked with Stephen individuals including on Broadway, sing and Sondheim to reinterpret Mark and Elizabeth Ze- dance. The food was one of his musicals. ringue, Robert and Jane delicious, and the fun Andy Grotelueschen, a Wrenn, Robert Heuts and atmosphere was even Broadway actor who has an anonymous contribu- better! been bringing down the tor also helped make this After eating lunch, we house in the new musi- possible — as did every- walked through Times cal “Tootsie” that you’ll one who contributed over Square and headed be hearing a lot about if the last year by purchas- towards the Empire State you follow theater — and ing a raffle ticket, having Building. Once there, Submitted photo maybe even if you don’t. supper at our barbecue we went all the way up JCORP, a successful fundraiser, joining us for to the observation deck Samantha Zarate takes a photo of the 9/11 memorial during a quiet visit to street artist who has her the character breakfast where we were able to get the location where the Twin Towers once stood. own company, creating last fall or attending Sing a great 360-degree view public art projects and and Play. of the city. The wind was commissioned works It may sound like a intense on the observato- pizza was amazing! It was New York, we were ecstat- even better! for big names like NBC quick, five-day trip, but ry, but the amazing views authentic and delicious! ic to begin our next day’s Following our amazing Universal. And Peter JM’s New York Arts Ad- were totally worth the Definitely a must-try in adventures. We woke up lunch with Jessie, we Marks, chief theater venture really is a lot. crazy, wind-blown hair! New York! to car horns and dough- arrived at the Marquis critic for The Washington Every once in a After visiting the Em- nuts from the Doughnut Theatre on Broadway Post, who was part of a while, you wonder if pire State Building, and Project. The doughnuts to watch “Tootsie.” The news team that received it’s too much. But then taking a little bit of rest were amazing and my show was hysterical and a Pulitzer Prize and you’re captivated by time at the hotel, we head- Wednesday with favorite had to have been filled with incredible ac- has served four times the students’ insight- ed to our first theatrical Jessie Austrian, the vanilla bean dough- tors. Following the show, as chair of the Pulitzer ful conversations with experience of the trip, an nut. Andy Grotelueschen, Prize drama jury. renowned personalities interactive show based ‘Tootsie’ on After a bit of exploring, who played Michael’s They’re not just hired over lunch in New York. on Shakespeare’s “Mac- Broadway, Andy we headed to Joe Allen roommate Jeff, showed guns. Most of them al- You watch how they’re beth,” called “Sleep No for lunch with Jessie us around backstage and ready knew what our JM inspired exploring More.” The interactivity Grotelueschen and Austrian, an actress even introduced us to artists are accomplishing, backstage with an actor of the show was unlike ‘La Traviata’ at and director who is the costars Santino Fontana either directly or through on Broadway. anything any of us had cofounder of Fiasco and Lilli Cooper! Seeing colleagues, and some have You hear them walk- ever done before, and all the Metropolitan Theater Company. Jessie how they ran the show helped with JMArts proj- ing down West 27th of us left more excited Opera discussed life in the backstage was insightful ects over the years. When Street talking among and chattery than we theater business with us and a great look into we mentioned the New themselves about how came in! BY JENNIFER and gave us wonderful what a career in theater York Arts Adventure, something isn’t anything To end the night, we HENDERSON advice for our futures is like. even before we requested like what they thought it grabbed a late dinner at in theater. The food was any help, they asked if would be. Or how some- NY Pizza Suprema. The After our first day in incredible, but Jessie was See NEW YORK, page B7 APRIL 25 - MAY 1, 2019 | Chatham News + Record | B7 NEW YORK: Student artists tell about their adventures in NYC Continued from page B6 and our experiences in them. I told him about After much, much my time playing Sonny more coffee and getting in “In The Heights” and lost in the subway, we how it connected with me took the 1-train to the personally. Afterwards, Metropolitan Opera he said he couldn’t wait to House to watch “La tell his buddy Lin — Lin Traviata.” We got to Manuel Miranda — all watch many incredible about our experiences opera singers perform, with his musical.

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