Congratulations to our ND Nominees in the San Jose Stage Top Honors Awards! Emily Bordelon (Scenic Designer) and Maddie Campione (Hair & Make-up Designer) for Student Achievement in Technical Theater and Noah Lerner (Professor Marvel/Oz) for Best Featured Actor!
Thank you to everyone who made this year's musical such an astounding success!
THE ROAD TO OZ!
Check back here for behind-the-scenes looks at our smash hit Spring Musical,
The Wizard of Oz!
Episode 12: Dorothy & Toto
Episode 11: The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodsman & The Cowardly Lion
Episode 10: Lights & Sound
Episode 9: Meet Glinda & The Wizard
Episode 8: Making the Magic - Props and Special Effects
Episode 7: Beware the West Witch! And the Flying Monkeys, Too!
Episode 6: Costumes and Make-up
Episode 5: Trees, Crows and Winkies!
Episode 4: Building Kansas
Episode 3: Ms. Hopkins and the Dance Team!
Episode 2: Behind-the-Scenes with the Tech Crew
Episode 1: Mr. McCaw, The Munchkins and Citizens of Oz...
ALUMNA SPOTLIGHT - JESSICA KELLY '08
Jessica Kelly ’08 hasn’t helped Pixar win an Oscar …yet. But as a Production Assistant on their 2014 release The Good Dinosaur, Jessica says “I’m crossing my fingers…” After Pixar’s summer release Brave won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, all the employees were welcome to come down and take a photo with director Mark Andrews.
Last June, Jessica graduated from Chapman University and found an internship with Pixar, which turned into full-time employment in December of 2012. “It's been really wonderful because I'm working directly with the producer, director, and the others in the production pod to help support them in any way,” Jessica enthused.
While at Notre Dame, the Drama medal award-winning Jessica played leading roles in our productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Red Scare on Sunset, Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and Carnival. In her Senior year, she also student directed Zombie Prom. Her graduation goal had been to become a Disney Imagineer. It looks like Jessica is well on her way!
NOTRE DAME TAKES COMEDYSPORTZ HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP!
Where does a horse go to get more pajamas? To Dress Barn, of course, according to the Notre Dame High School ComedySportz team. You expected a Bridle Shop?
That deep truth came out in an improvised scene on Saturday, April 20th, as the Giraffes (their team name) competed against 14 other teams in the tenth annual ComedySportz High School League tournament. After all the jokes had flown and the puns had settled, team captain Chiarra Sorci ’13 led her team to victory and for the first time, Notre Dame High School took first place, receiving a plaque naming them “Funniest Team Ever.”
In addition, Lynn Scerbak ‘14 received the Impact Award, for best exemplifying the spirit of improvisation. (Sorci won the award last year.) We think her portrayal of the horse in search of sleepwear may have pushed things in her favor, but it could have been her playing a reader desperate to find a book at Barnes & Noble not about vampires falling in love. Rochelle Malter ’14 handed her books about lovesick werewolves instead.
And let us not discount Julia Ryan ’14 as a hapless pig getting lost in Bacon City…
You can see this championship team perform at Art House on Saturday, April 27 on the patio at San Jose Stage Company at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30.
CURRENT PROGRAM
Notre Dame taps into its talent base with a variety of opportunities!
In addition to our robust theater program, Notre Dame offers a Chamber Music Ensemble, Glee Choir, Music Ministry, and in conjunction with Bellarmine College Preparatory, Perfomance Choir and Symphonic Band.
For theater, we produce three shows each school year: a fall play performed at City Lights Theater Company, a children's show written and directed by students that performs in the Chapel and tours local daycare centers, and a spring musical performed in Julie Billiart Hall.
FALL PLAY - 44 Plays For 44 Presidents!
Thank you to everyone who attended this exciting production done in collaboration with City Lights. Our students educated and entertained as they gave all 44 Presidents their moment in the spotlight.
Please watch this space for further announcements about the 44 Plays for 44 Presidents Project!
CHILDREN'S SHOW - SHMOOZLE by Samantha Albert '12
Little monster Shmoozle is afraid to go to school. What if the other monsters don't like him? This original children's story by an ND student was directed by Chiarra Sorci '13 and produced by Mr. McCaw. Public performances included a visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library for Story Hour and St. Lucy's Elementary School in Campbell!
THE WIZARD OF OZ
We're hard at work building that yellow brick road!
The Wizard of Oz opens April 25 and runs through April 28! Tickets on sale soon!
Improv Club
Throughout the school year, the Improv Club will also be training and competing with the ComedySportz High School League. Making it up as they go along, this competitive improvisational comedy format has been a consistent crowd pleaser. Performance dates are pending; keep watching the announcements!
The Improv Club is alive and well and playing undead...
Returning members of "The Improv Giraffes" took part in San Jose's
Zombieorama IV on Friday, August 31. Participants donated canned goods
for Second Harvest Food Bank, then made themselves up as zombies and
joined hundreds lurching downtown for a zombie fashion show, a concert
and an outdoor screening of Shaun of the Dead.
Along with all the performing arts classes available at Notre Dame. Students have many other opportunities to express their acting and musical talents. Some of these outside the classroom activities include: the joint Notre Dame/Bellarmine Band and Jazz Choir, multicultural dance performances, Music Ministry, Class Cheerleaders and student performances at Notre Dame's annual auction.
In addition, Notre Dame students are in demand for internships with downtown San Jose theater companies.