On June 24, the ORR Drama Club held their end of the year banquet outside for the very first time. Normally, the banquet is held at the school’s auditorium, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, the event was held at the house of Lisa Cardoza. Cardoza is president of Friends of Old Rochester Drama, more commonly known as F.O.R.D.
Students performed their Cabaret acts, as that event had also been canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. Julia Melloni gave a lovely performance of “Party Favor” on her ukulele, followed by Olivia Guillotte happily singing “Walking at Midnight”. Seniors Jack Roussell, Alice Bednarczyk, Bella Rodriguez, Ethan Mort, and Noah Paknis performed “Yellow Submarine”, with Roussell on guitar, bringing the entire club into a sing-along for the chorus.
Due to technical difficulties, Melloni gave an impromptu comedy act while waiting for performer Grace Stevens. Stevens, singing “Cabaret”, reminded the club she had sung in every Cabaret since freshman year and wanted to sing “Cabaret” from the musical Cabaretat Cabaret her senior year. Juniors Michaela Mattson and Victoria Kvilhaug sang a duet of “Little Talks” with Kvilhaug on guitar.
After the wonderful Cabaret acts, club representatives Katie Maclean (co-president), Lauren Gonslalves (vice-president), and Julia Melloni (treasurer) gave out the Senior Superlatives, which every senior received. The awards were for attributes like Biggest Appetite, Most Talkative, Highest Voice, etc.
Posters were handed out, and director Paul Sardinha congratulated all of the seniors who won F.O.R.D. and other drama-related scholarships.
Helen Blake, lovingly referred to as ‘Mama B’, is celebrating her 25th year of doing costumes for the club. In honor of this, Sardinha and Cardoza sang “Do You Love the Drama Club?” to the music from Fiddler on the Roof’s“Do You Love Me?” with Sardinha on piano. They presented Blake with a bouquet of flowers and tearful hugs, wishing her many more years of creating costumes for her beloved drama club.
To her kids, Mrs. Blake said fondly, “You don’t realize the power you have for someone in the background who can’t do what you do.”
Sardinha also reminded everyone of next year’s fall production of White Christmas. The show will include a very large orchestra and quite a bit of tap dancing. Also announced was the spring show, Anything Goes.
“It will be a huge production we are doing next year, so everyone better be ready to start working and have a ball,” said Sardinha.
Get a ticket as soon as they are available because the shows sell out fast for this drama club, especially the musicals.
The club decided on next year’s representatives: Nolan LaRochelle and Grace Mastroianni as co-presidents, Michaela Mattson as vice-president, Victoria Kvilhaug for treasurer, along with reps Alexander Wurl and Amaya Bell.
“As co-president, I look forward to working with our amazing drama reps and with all the students to make the club awesome for next year,” LaRochelle stated.
The new representatives were knighted by their predecessors, with Melloni standing in for Maclean’s co-president Chris Savino, who was unable to attend the banquet.
Pictures were taken, and the Drama Club ended the year with anticipation and excitement over what the next year has in store for them.
ORR Update
By Grace Mastroianni