Five Huntington High School seniors recently took their final bows as members of the drama club. The teenagers will be graduating in June after turning in years of sensational performances on the auditorium stage.
Peter Ciccone, Will Fallon, LJ Kindall, Amelia Maggio and Amelia Reilly all participated in their final production. The teenagers are going out after one of the best drama club musicals ever in last month’s staging of Cinderella.
Mr. Fallon is an exceptionally talented and versatile performer, displaying dazzling abilities in a wide range of roles. He can handle comedy, drama, musicals, singing, dancing – you name it. The teenager has never failed to master his part and rise to the challenges presented by all eight stage productions he has participated in over the past four years.
“Overall, drama club has been a fantastic experience,” Ms. Maggio said. “Obviously we have ups and downs as we are under quite a bit of pressure, but in the end nothing can beat the feeling of the applause at the end. When I was younger, I used to see every Huntington musical and that’s one of the main things that inspired me to do theatre. So the thought that I could be influencing some other kid is unbelievable. I’m so proud of the work we have done. My experiences have been unparalleled.”
Ms. Maggio is headed for a career in nursing, but she hopes to keep the stage and theatre in general as part of her life moving forward. The remarkably talented performer has been a huge hit with audiences of all ages and her strong and beautiful voice has complimented all eight productions she participated in.
The seniors have all worked very closely with Michael Schwendemann, a high school English teacher who serves as the drama club’s longtime faculty advisor. “This group of seniors did everything and anything that was asked of them,” Mr. Schwendemann said. “They did it with charm, grace and a wonderful sense of humor. They will be missed.”
Drama club members put in legendary hours rehearsing, especially in the final week before curtain goes up. The actors and stagehands bond with each other in a very special way and seniors leave with memories that will last a lifetime.
“My final drama club production was absolutely spectacular,” Ms. Reilly said. “I enjoyed preforming with some of my closest friends.”
Ms. Reilly has been involved in the high school drama club program for many years. She just concluded her seventh production with the organization.
“Drama club has been an amazing experience these last four years,” Mr. Ciccone said. “It’s where I’ve met some of my closest friends and made some of my favorite memories. Cinderella was sentimental, but also very fun. I found that I was enjoying every moment of it and I hope I made it just as fun for everyone else in the cast. I’d say it was definitely my favorite musical that I’ve ever been a part of.”
Mr. Ciccone has performed in eight productions over the past four years. He’s an Eagle Scout and a mainstay in the Blue Devil marching band. The teenager plays the clarinet and alto clarinet.
Mr. Swendemann expects to hear next month on how many Hunting-Tony Award nominations this year’s drama club and its members will receive for its fall and spring productions.
