Dumping On Parkland High School

A high school theatre season wouldn't be complete without the annual sniping that goes on. This has been going on for years. This year's first complaint is about Parkland HS using some paid professionals. It was made by Kristy McKeever who seems to have some sort of axe to grind.

Over the many years hers was not the first complaint nor was it that Parkland HS came under fire. Throughout the years as a audience member and follower of our local high school musicals I've heard just about all the complaints. Let me try and explain why this is a none issue.

First off there are few if any instructors at the high school level who are familiar with the highly technical and expensive art of sound and lighting design. Secondly, even if they were, no high school owns the hugely complex expensive digital software and boards that are required to perform at this kind of caliber these school musicals do these days.

Every school that can afford it have utilized experienced choreographers and extra musicians for many years. These pros like the ones I mentioned above provide a opportunity for the students to work alongside those in the biz they would never have had otherwise.

High school directors also rent as many sets and costumes as they can afford. Few parents or students have the ability nor the many months required to order dozens of cloth patterns to sew the costumes. Neither do they have the carpentry skills to create artistically safe sets.

Just in case anyone's concerned about their tax dollars going to these paid professionals or musicals. They aren't. They are fully funded by sponsors and the ticket sales.

The most important thing to keep in mind is these shows are designed for the audiences that come to the high schools to see them. The Freddy Award Competition is icing on the cake. Winning awards at the 'Freddys' is never nor never was the main objective. Is there animosity and jealousy over who wins? Sometimes. Just like in any other competition.

Would any parent complain if their kid was playing football, basketball or competing in track and had the opportunity to be mentored by a sports professional. When it comes time to perform, whether it be on stage or on the sports field, it's the kids themselves who need to come through in the end. Being mentored by a professional provides the best opportunity a high schooler could ever wish for.

Kristy, who's complaining, left Parkland when she graduated 5 years ago. Her 'Linkedin' profile list her as a graduate from Penn State with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) [Stage Management]. I absolutely have no way of knowing whether her motivations are out of genuine concern or 'sour grapes' in some way. One thing I do know, it was she who started the petition. Not any of the current students or parents. That makes me question if it could be the latter?

FINAL THOUGHTS
All the high school instructors involved in putting these shows together have little or no experience in choreography, lighting design, sound design, carpentry skills for set design and all the other things that go into making a musical.

Here's a example of what bringing in outside help can do for a show..
The 2007 Freddy Awards Show

Creating a musical on Broadway costs millions of dollars. It's simply amazing how great these local high school musicals have become with having less then a only a teeny tiny fraction of the money available to put on a great show. My hat goes off to all involved. Especially Shelly Brown president and CEO of the 'State Theatre Center for the Arts' in Easton and WFMZ-TV for allowing millions of viewers to enjoy these students talents whom we'd never get to enjoy and appreciate otherwise.


One Last Thing I Want To Mention about Parkland Schools..There's been animosity between some people who live in Allentown when it comes to Parkland HS and those in the Parkland area when it comes to the economic differences. How about a salute to Parkland who just collected 26,272 lbs of food for the 'Second Harvest Food Bank' in Allentown?

No other school district's parents, staff and students have stepped up to the plate as Parkland has done at the time of this writing.

It seems there are too many engaging in undeserved pettiness against Parkland at this time. Rather then be critical of Parkland we should sit down with them and see how we can benefit from their experiences. This shouldn't be about how much Parkland has going for it, but rather to ask ourselves why is it don't we?

The 2014 Freddy Awards program will culminate in a three-hour television awards ceremony on Thursday, May 22,2014 from the State Theatre. Produced in partnership with WFMZ Channel 69, the show will be broadcast live from 7-10 p.m. on WFMZ and on the web at wfmz.com. Ed Hanna of WFMZ and Shelley Brown of the State Theatre will host the ceremony.

Here's a teaser video from the Freddy Awards show done in 2010