The Official Newspaper North Salem High School TIGER TIMES Page 1 March 2021 has managed to find a silver lining through all of NS Musical: A Grand this. “I have enjoyed having a Zoom set up,” re- flects Ms. Bruckner. “There are lots of schools in Night for Singing this country, particularly on reservations and very The show WILL go on poor inner city places where children do not have access to equipment or the internet. I am very By Delia Ciamei aware of our privilege, and very grateful.” Similarly, Doug Coates, director of Golden Stage Society and chorus teacher at North Sa- “It’s a grand night for singing. The moon is lem High School, has been able to find some flying high,” cries the cast of A Grand Night for positives in this new environment because he is Singing during rehearsal. Virtual rehearsal, that thankful that “the actors have been able to exer- is. Amidst the COVID- cise their own creativity 19 pandemic, numerous to create some of the aspects of life have scenarios and stories to Inside this issue: changed, especially for interpret time-honored North Salem News 3 the theater community. songs in a different Despite this, The Gold- way.” Dr. Coates emo- en Stage Society, a club tionally adds, “It’s been North Salem Opinion 9 at North Salem High a joy to develop this School that performs piece with Ms. Bruckner North Salem Arts 10 annual spring musicals, and the actors, and to was fortunate enough to get to create our own have a 2021 production. timely story.” North Salem Sports 11 This year’s production In previous of A Grand Night for Some of the cast of A Grand Night for Singing rehearsing over Google years, the Golden Singing has exclusively Meets Stage Society has put Highlights been rehearsed over on musical productions such as Cinderella, The Google Meet and Zoom, and the cast never per- Drowsy Chaperone, Damn Yankees, Footloose, Testing Update formed on stage like they had in previous years. Beauty and the Beast, and The Sound of Music. Even though the Golden Stage Society’s This year’s production will be different because Page 3 production of A Grand Night for Singing is far “A Grand Night for Singing isn’t a traditional from what we are used to, Michelle Bruckner, ‘book’ musical,” expresses Dr. Coates. “In fact, it choreographer for the Golden Stage Society and is a musical review, centered on the music of COVID College host on The Showgirl Tip of the Day Podcast, Search Musical continued on page 2 Page 4 to life, the organization began working with P.S. I Love You Day schools in the tristate area and asking them to NSHS Club News NSHS students participate in suicide encourage students and others to wear purple prevention cause on the second Friday of February each year. Page 7 They chose purple because it's soft and warm By Gabby Pelosi and beautiful, yet still a very powerful color. Ad- Need Advice? Ask ditionally, the event culminates in one day be- cause sometimes it only takes one person, one For the second year in a row, North Sa- Gigi message, or one day to impact a person’s life or lem School District participated in P.S. I Love to wake up and turn your whole life around. You Day. This event is Page 8 This year’s 11th meant to promote kind- annual event centered ness, encourage people to Op Ed: Immigration around the slogan stand up against bullying, “Together We Will Rise,” Page 9 bring awareness to mental which was inspired by the health issues, and ulti- increased difficulties Varsity Basketball mately help prevent sui- brought on by the COVID- cide. We are one of over 19 pandemic and how iso- Page 11 200 schools that celebrat- lation has impacted us all ed this important event, in varying degrees. Unfor- Turf Field Update held on February 12th, up tunately, the pandemic from 164 last year. and the hybrid-learning Page 12 The holiday was models provided some created by two sisters from challenges for the event West Islip, Long Island, Editors: A picture from last year’s P.S. I Love You Day itself, because not every- New York whose lives one could celebrate in the Lily Guiliano changed forever one day building on February 12th. when they were teenagers. On April 23rd, 2010, Gabby Pelosi Nevertheless, we pushed forward and put to- their father tragically committed suicide. Seven Jake Yoel gether plans that were plausible under the months later, the two sisters reflected on what COVID restrictions and that would include as they were experiencing, and the struggles others many members of the school community as we faced. Remembering their father’s last words to Advisor: could. For starters, we created two days for fac- them, “I Love You,” they created P.S. I Love You Dr. Popken ulty and students to wear purple to accommo- Day. To bring their overall message and vision P.S. I Love You continued on page 2 PAGE 2 North Salem News Musical were rehearsing, I was hearing more and attest to this because she misses “seeing more stories about the Coronavirus and everyone in person! I miss the cast parties, Continued from page1 there was a great deal of fear.” dinners, getting ready for a show, rehears- Although many positives have als, trying on costumes and even the hor- Rodgers and Hammerstein, who wrote emerged from this production, some chal- rendous tech week!” Ms. Bruckner also classic musical theatre pieces like Oklaho- misses seeing everyone, and recognizes ma! and The Sound of Music. Reviews how “This is not the same as a live perfor- don’t have a book, so there is no prescribed mance. But we can edit and put our best story line.” Even though this may seem work together and still create art.” challenging, Dr. Coates acknowledges how A Grand Night for Singing will not be “The benefit of a show like this is that we a live performance. Instead, the final prod- can create our own story around the mu- uct will be a pre-recorded video. Cast mem- sic. The story that Ms. Bruckner and I de- bers will be performing from their house, veloped centers around five students tiring and there will be no backdrops or beautiful of learning through Zoom meetings, wear- sets like there were on stage in the past. An ing masks and social distancing, and how innovative solution to this is green screens. they are lured into a dream where COVID “We purchased 6 10’x 12’ green screens doesn’t exist.” and stands so the actors have a little room Once the 2021 musical was deter- to move while they are performing and film- mined, Dr. Coates, Ms. Bruckner, and the ing,” informs Dr. Coates. This will be inter- cast were able to start rehearsing. It has esting in that we can place each song or been strange for everyone to adapt to this scene in a different location without having new rehearsal environment, and there was to build a set for each place. The opening definitely a learning curve. Dr. Coates notes to the second act, for example, centers on how “Rehearsing this show has been chal- a wedding, so we can use a church back- lenging, to say the least. I’ve had to learn to ground for the ceremony, and then find a trust the actors to do what they do. One of ballroom for the reception.” The production the goals I set for myself as an educator is will be edited with Final Cut Pro, and Mr. to guide students' development into inde- Pedane, music teacher at North Salem pendent musicians - in this case, independ- High School, has been helping Dr. Coates ent performers. This new rehearsal format Ms. Bruckner’s dining room transformed into a rehearsal space navigate the editing program. Additionally, has accelerated that process.” the stage crew is interested in helping with Fortunately, Dr. Coates’ goal of help- lenges were encountered along the way. A the editing process. ing students become independent musi- crucial part of theater is the community and While the production will not be per- cians has been successful despite their ac- connection that is built among the cast formed live on stage, people will be able to celerated timeline. Amanda Collins, a soph- throughout the rehearsal process. That was purchase tickets and view the show at on- omore at North Salem High School and not easy to come by this year because in- thestage.com and patrons will receive a member of Golden Stage Society, reflects, person rehearsals were a possibility this password-protected code to access the dig- “I’ve learned so much throughout this expe- year. Dr. Coates acknowledges this in say- ital recording of the production that cannot rience about my own talent and what it ing, “We’ve had to sacrifice so much of the be shared. The production is estimated to takes to be an independent performer. It community-building that is so important not be available for access by late April or early has been a great opportunity to learn even only to the production, but to the members May. Everyone should go watch the show more about technology and put together of the Golden Stage Society. For all the because Dr. Coates proudly asserts how something that can never be erased.” Even hours we spend during tech week, and all “The members of the Golden Stage Society though this year’s production is a drastic the stress involved in working through that have proven themselves to be flexible, re- change, Ms.