Contributor Review by Dianna Burge: Fiddler On The Roof

>This contributor review is by Rockville Central reader Dianna Burge:

I had the pleasure of going to see “Fiddler on the Roof” Saturday, April 5. First off, the new auditorium was terrific! I am a graduate of RM in 1965 and was thoroughly fascinated by the seating, sound systems, and staging.

I found “Fiddler on the Roof” to be excellent! My friend and I had good seats and the show was phenomenal! I have seen many versions of this musical and I was blown away by Zach Sandberg as Tevye, Lauren Kuzminsky as Golde, Matty Golub as Motel, plus the dancing and acting of Micajah Dudley as Mordcha, the innkeeper, he was fantastic, and such a great actor. You would never have known that these were high school students.

The choreography of this production was terrific! Hats off, to each entertainer no matter how big or how small the part…. they were all important and wonderful! The chorus also blew me away…. such wonderful voices that added so much to the production.

I particularly loved the dream sequence. I was in awe… this particular scene is very important to the story and they made it remarkable and unforgettable. Being a huge fan of this particular musical, I was actually watching, and listening for any mistakes. The cast was so good…. I never did see or hear one error in the whole production. My gratitude goes to the Conductor of the wonderful orchestra, and each student musician that played such amazing music that added so much to the musical’s success. All I can say is, “Bravo!”

Would you like to write a contributor review of an arts event to Rockville Central? Excellent! Just send it in and we will consider it. Rules: Event is in Rockville; fairly recent; article is your work; you are not offering it for publication elsewhere. Try to keep it under 500 words; we will edit for length. Include a photo if you have one!

Contributor Review by Lori Miller: Fiddler On The Roof

>This contributor review is by Rockville Central friend Lori Miller:

You really should take your kids to see “Fiddler on the Roof,” the spring musical at Richard Montgomery High School. And bring their grandparents. It will get the conversation going about past and future, parents and children, love and music. You might want to start that conversation before the show; this musical is a little more complex than most, and younger folks will get more out of it–and you’ll do less on-the-spot narration–if you explain some of the history and names.

The show is the first in RM’s new auditorium; the acoustics are much better here, and there are no bad seats, unless you’re a little kid. Parents may want to come early to scout out the best sight lines; the reserved seats are in the front and center, but the back rows may be better for shorter viewers.

Some RM traditions still hold–the cast, chorus and orchestra are huge and impressive, and the production has been carefully designed. It’s hard to take your eyes off Zach Sandberg as Tevye; he has some transcendent moments out there. But be sure to watch Matty Golub as a charming Motel the tailor and Micajah Dudley as the dancing, and scene-stealing, innkeeper.

The best entrance of the show belongs to the ghost of Fruma-Sarah during the dream sequence, but some younger viewers may dive for cover. If you see night terrors ahead, join in the post-show tradition at RM and take your children up to meet the actors and crew. They can see the ‘ghost’ among her friends, and maybe start dreaming about their own days on the RM stage.

“Fiddler” runs at 7:30 p.m. April 5, 11 and 12. Tickets are available at the door at $10 for adults and $5 for students. Reserved tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for students; call 301-610-8087.

Would you like to write a contributor review of an arts event to Rockville Central? Excellent! Just send it in and we will consider it. Rules: Event is in Rockville; fairly recent; article is your work; you are not offering it for publication elsewhere. Try to keep it under 500 words; we will edit for length. Include a photo if you have one!

POTD: Munch!

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This photo is by Richard Montgomery High School PTSA president Kate Savage. Of it, she says: “This is the back side of the auditorium. The old building is finally coming down to make way for athletic fields!”

Want to submit a photo for consideration to be the Picture Of The Day at Rockville Central? Wonderful! Just email it to me. Rules: a) Must be taken in Rockville; b) Must be your own work; c) Must not be published or offered for publication elsewhere; d) Should be generally contemporary (try to keep them less than a month or two old).

Contributor Review by Michael Berney: Rocket Men Show Another Side of Richard Montgomery

>The following contributor review is by Michael Berney:

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time
Till touch down brings me round again to find
I’m not the man they think I am at home
No, no, no, no—I’m a Rocket Man
–Bernie Taupin (sung by Elton John)

The Richard Montgomery High School Rocket Men busted a few stereotypes last Friday night March 7, 2008. This is a group of kids who attend the number one school in the D.C. metropolitan area on the Washington Post’s Challenge Index for Rigor. Three quarters of the student body are enrolled in honors and advance placement courses. The student graduation rate is 92.7% and the attendance rate is 94.9%. These are high school students whose academic achievement is out of this world.

But there is another, more playful, side to these young men.

Introductions

Sixteen Richard Montgomery seniors competed for the title of “Mr. RM” on Friday in a two-and-a-half hour competition. Participants displayed unique talents, dressed up in formal wear and beachwear, and tried out pick-up lines on female classmates. As judges whittled the group down to ten and then five contestants, the final set had to answer a pair of questions in an interview phase.

When the curtain opened on the evening, the entire group danced in formation to “It’s Raining Men.” The audience, of parents and siblings, fellow students and RM alumni, howled and applauded. Then the evening’s hosts called up the contestants one by one. The hosts read introductions penned by the contestant themselves.

Ian Richter: “He is the mortal enemy of new age philosophy in all its forms, and he will never ‘just chill’.”

Kishan Thadikonda: “He plans to one day settle down in an arranged marriage and make beautiful Indian babies.”

Talents

Kevin Chung led off the opening event of the competition: a talent demonstration. He took center stage with a traditional Chinese yo-yo. This toy, which has a history dating to China’s Ming Dynasty (1386-1644 AD), is kept spinning on a string tied to two sticks at its ends. Kevin manipulated the yo-yo, tossing it in the air, around his back, and through his legs.

Then the curtains on the stage closed and a screen descended. Michael Rosenthal—in real life an accomplished RM athlete—appeared in a video, poking fun at himself playing football, basketball, and lacrosse. “But the one thing I’ve always wanted to do,” Michael said at the video’s end, “was dance Thriller with the RM Poms.”

At that moment the curtains opened and Michael, taking the Michael Jackson role as head zombie, led a group of costumed POMS to the rock song:

Its close to midnight and something evils lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart

Formal and Informal Clothing

When all of the young men had displayed talents, they appeared as a group on stage wearing formal wear. Most wore tuxedos, but the group also included variations such as traditional Indian formal wear.

Beachwear followed formal wear. Here clothes ranged from swimwear to an 8-foot tall red lobster. One “misguided” contestant showed up in a head-to-toe snowboarding outfit.

Pick-Up Lines

The next portion of the Mr. RM contest required each contestant to approach a pair of girls seated mid-stage. The contestant had to display his best pick-up line.

Kevin Chung: “My love for you is like an exponential function: it’s boundless.”

Jake Rosner: “My friend just bet me that I wouldn’t get a date with the most beautiful girl in school. Can you help me win that bet?”

Zach Sandberg: “Girl, you put the ‘fine’ in ‘sunshine’.”—To which the reply was, “There is no ‘fine’ in ‘sunshine’.”

Winning Through Humor

When Ms. South Carolina competed in this year’s Miss Teen USA contest, she humored the audience with

her inability to answer a question on geography. The humor displayed by the Richard Montgomery students could not have differed more.

Friday night’s contestants poked fun at themselves. They competed in a good-natured competition where, in a sense, everyone won. These young men showed another side of a school remarkable for its academic excellence.

One father compressed the entire competition down to a 10-second collage of still photographs and also has some very funny footage of the evening. View them here.

Would you like to write a contributor review of an arts event to Rockville Central? Excellent! Just send it in and we will consider it.
Rules: Event is in Rockville; fairly recent; article is your work; you are not offering it for publication elsewhere. Try to keep it under 500 words; we will edit for length. Include a photo if you have one!

College Admission Angst — "A Statistical Mirage"

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Contributor Review by Michael Berney: RM Debuts New Auditorium with Choral Performance

>The following contributor review is by Michael Berney:

Those of us fortunate enough to squeeze into the new Richard Montgomery High School Auditorium last Thursday night received a special treat. Choruses from the RM Cluster elementary schools joined our combined choruses for an hour of wonderful music. Children and parents filled every seat and family members lined the walls.

When the lights dimmed, the first two groups to take the stage were a cappella (unaccompanied voices) singing groups. Five young men interpreted a contemporary song with multi-part harmonies. Then a girl dressed in red ran across the stage to introduce the second group, In Tune. The group did not exactly sing in tune, but they certainly provided enough slapstick entertainment to have the elementary school kids laughing and screaming with delight.

Speaking of screaming, Assistant School Administrator Nicole Sosik warmed up the elementary school contingent’s vocal chords by inviting each group, in turn, to demonstrate their enthusiasm for attending Richard Montgomery. “How excited are you about coming to Richard Montgomery and going to school in this new building?” The Beall Elementary kids together screamed for joy. “What do you think of this new auditorium?” The College Gardens kids screamed even louder. I forget the last question, but the Ritchie Park contingent chimed in with still louder screams. Then Ms. Sosik announced that Richard Montgomery was making a $500 donation to each school in recognition of their contribution to this evening’s program.

Where’s the Light Switch

The new auditorium boasts computer controlled lighting and sound systems. When choruses assembled on stage, the lights darkened in the theater. All eyes focused on the children, arrayed on risers. At the close of the program, when the audience needed to view programs for help singing along with America, the Beautiful’s verse 4 (“O beautiful for patriot dream . . .”), the house lights rose ever so slightly to accommodate the need.

Other features of the auditorium include its convenient location next to the music rehearsal rooms. The backstage area provides storage. And for those of us in attendance, the seating was above average. The seats may not be theater-style plush but they certainly felt comfortable.

Drums and Xylophones and A Concert Grand Piano

The program began with Beall Elementary Chorus performing. For the middle number, chorus members accompanied the singing with African drumming. College Gardens Elementary Chorus sang, and the Ritchie Park Elementary Chorus finished the vocal section.

In addition to the African drumming, children used xylophones and other instruments to embellish some of the numbers. Especially enjoyable was watching the Choral Conductors do their work. Each brought forth lovely melodies and harmonies from their respective choirs.

The Richard Montgomery combined choruses then took the stage, with the particularly complicated piano accompaniment performed by Kevin Hu, an RM freshman. Then the elementary school choirs joined with the RM choir for a traditional round, and the evening concluded with America, the Beautiful.

Gifted Leadership

Ron Frezzo, Richard Montgomery’s long-time choir director, arranged this evening so that it featured highlights. The program lasted only one hour but gave every choir, including RM’s, a chance to display a range of talents.

Mr. Frezzo represents one of Richard Montgomery’s treasures. This evening served so many purposes: it opened a new space with a celebration of talent, it welcomed in RM’s extended academic community — the children who may one day attend RM, and it joined parents and children together in song.

A Final Thought on Music

By chance, the paper cup holding my morning bears a quotation about music. It seems apropos:

Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears—it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more—it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity. — Oliver Sacks (Neurologist and author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.)

Would you like to write a contributor review of an arts event to Rockville Central? Excellent! Just send it in and we will consider it. Rules: Event is in Rockville; fairly recent; article is your work; you are not offering it for publication elsewhere. Try to keep it under 500 words; we will edit for length. Include a photo if you have one!

RMHS Community, Take A Stroll Down Memory Lane

> This probably belongs in Weekend to Weekend, but we just couldn’t wait!

Take a last look at the old school; help out the new.

Friday, December 7, 2007 from 6:00 to 10:00 pm

• Tour of the OLD building – guided tours every 15 minutes from 6:00 to 7:30 pm
• Highlights of RMHS – media presentation in auditorium—6:00/6:30/7:00 pm
• Silent Auction – do your holiday shopping in the cafeteria– 6:00 to 8:00 pm
• Sock Hop – dance/listen to music from each decade in the Gym; 7-10 pm
• Alumni Concert – in auditorium starting at 7:30 pm –donations encouraged!

Ticket prices:

• Highlights of RMHS: $10/person
• Hop & Highlights of RMHS: $50/person or $75 for two
• Special pricing for RMHS faculty/staff (current and former): Sock Hop & Highlights of RMHS $25/person or $40 for two

Purchase the Highlights of RMHS dvd for $15.00 (a great stocking stuffer)

Alas, there is no online way to register, but I have scanned it and you can download the form you need to fill out here.

Making The Streets Safe for RMHS Students

It appears there’s a nascent conflict brewing over what to do about all the pedestrian traffic that is going to be making its way into the soon-to-be-open new version of >Richard Montgomery High School. According to The Sentinel, the principal of RMHS, Moreno Carrasco, has asked for the City to install pedestrian safety measures across Fleet Street into the new front entrance. (UPDATE: The Gazette has it too.)

The new entrance faces E. Jefferson Ave, right along the curve. (Map of the area.)

Carrasco’s concern is that Fleet Street is, for some motorists, a cut-through to get them onto Rockville Pike. It’s a windy road with some blind curves. (The photo shows a student jaywalking exactly where E. Jefferson and Fleet Street meet.)

“We have to make this road uncomfortable for people to drive on,” says Carrasco in The Sentinel. “I don’t want to have to be the principal who has to send a letter out that a student got hit here.” Carrasco made his case recently at the first post-summer City Council meeting, flanked by a number of students and parents in RMHS t-shirts.

The issue is not as simple as it may look. Solutions need to fit into existing City traffic plans, and it may be that there is no safe way (short of a bridge) to get pedestrians across Fleet Street on this curve.

To help visualize what we are talking about, I made a little video this morning, called I Love The Smell Of Fleet Street In The Morning.

Make sure your sound is on!

Interested Rockville residents may want to bring the subject up at tomorrow’s (Sept. 25) Traffic & Transportation Commission meeting, at 7:30pm at City Hall in the Black-Eyed Susan Conference Room.

As always, comments here at Rockville Central are welcome.