High school musicals: A baker's dozen this week, including one with a Baker

Peter D. Kramer
·4 min read

New musicals arrive on high school stages by a baker's dozen this week, including the one with The Baker and his wife.

From "Into the Woods" in Harrison to "In the Heights" at North Rockland to "Matilda" in Valhalla and "The Lightning Thief" in Briarcliff, if you can't find a musical to tempt you, perhaps musicals aren't your thing.

Looking for something new? There's "Something Rotten!" at Blind Brook. Something classic? Doesn't get more OG that R&H, and their "Cinderella," at Nanuet, has a charming score and, unlike "Into the Woods," plays it straight.

Here's a look at shows opening this week at schools in Rockland, Putnam and Westchester.

Kyle Grindstaff as William Shakespeare and his adoring fans in Blind Brook High School's production of "Something Rotten!" At 7 p.m., March 9, 10, 11. $18; $15 seniors and children under 12. At www.showtix4u.com.
Kyle Grindstaff as William Shakespeare and his adoring fans in Blind Brook High School's production of "Something Rotten!" At 7 p.m., March 9, 10, 11. $18; $15 seniors and children under 12. At www.showtix4u.com.

Something new

Blind Brook presents “Something Rotten!” the story of the Bottom Brothers who have drawn the shortest of straws, trying to scratch out a theatrical life at the same time as Shakespeare. It’s fresh, funny and, at times, silly.  At 7 p.m., March 9, 10, 11.  $18; $15 seniors and children under 12. showtix4u.com.

Byram Hills stages “Freaky Friday,” with music by one of its most famous alumni: Pulitzer and Tony-winner Tom Kitt. It’s the story of a mother and daughter who walk in each other’s shoes one freaky, um, day after Thursday. At 7 p.m., March 9, 10; 2 and 7 p.m., March 11. $15; $10 students, seniors. bhhsfreakyfriday.brownpapertickets.com.

Briarcliff faces the Olympian task of bringing “The Lightning Thief” to life. It’s the story of Percy Jackson, from those great Rick Riordan books, set to music. At 7.30 p.m., March 10, 11; 2:30 p.m. March 12. Tickets are $15 at showtix4u.com.

Chip, Mrs. Potts and Babette (Gabrielle Berkman, Julia Fret and Artemis Caporoso) rehearse a scene from "Beauty and the Beast," which plays at Tuckahoe Middle High School March 9-11. Performances at 7:30 p.m., March 9, 10; 2 and 7:30 p.m., March 11. $15; $10 students, seniors. At the door. Details at https://tinyurl.com/TMSTHSBeautyBeast2023
Chip, Mrs. Potts and Babette (Gabrielle Berkman, Julia Fret and Artemis Caporoso) rehearse a scene from "Beauty and the Beast," which plays at Tuckahoe Middle High School March 9-11. Performances at 7:30 p.m., March 9, 10; 2 and 7:30 p.m., March 11. $15; $10 students, seniors. At the door. Details at https://tinyurl.com/TMSTHSBeautyBeast2023

Fairy tales, straight and slightly bent

Tuckahoe Middle/High School tells the tale as old as time, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s “Beauty and the Beast,” with performances at 7:30 p.m., March 9, 10; 2 and 7:30 p.m., March 11. $15; $10 students, seniors. At the door. Details at tinyurl.com/TMSTHSBeautyBeast2023.

Harrison presents “Into the Woods,” Stephen Sondheim’s fractured fairy tales about what happens after “they lived happily ever after.” At 7 p.m., March 10, 11; 2 p.m., March 12. $10; $5 students, seniors at the door or harrisoncsd.org.

Irvington goes to the mattresses with “Once Upon a Mattress,” a musical retelling of “The Princess and the Pea” with the not-shy Princess Fred and a queen who is not amused. At 7:30 p.m., March 10, 11; 2 p.m., March 12. Tickets are $15; $10 students, seniors at irvington.booktix.com.

Nanuet sets out to see if the shoe fits, with “Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella” at 8 p.m., March 10, 11. Tickets are $12 at the door or 845-627-9850.

Julia Baker (Ares) helps Zach Hoyer (Percy), Jennifer Burnette (Annabeth) and Gordon Beckler (Grover) get to L.A. on a motorcycle, while Michela Deem helps with special effects, in a rehearsal for "The Lightning Thief" at Briarcliff High School. The Percy Jackson musical plays Briarcliff at 7.30 p.m., March 10, 11; 2:30 p.m. March 12. Tickets are $15 at showtix4u.com.

High school stories: Bomont, basketball, Birdie

Ardsley is the latest school to stage “Footloose,” the musical that puts the cast and crew one degree of separation from Kevin Bacon. When a kid from Chicago ends up in a backwater called Bomont, he can't stand still. Performances at 7 p.m., March 10; 2 and 7 p.m., March 11. Tickets are $21; $18 students, children, at showtix4u.com.

Carmel stages “High School Musical,” but not at their high school. They use the big stage at George Fischer Middle School, with performance of the getcha-head-in-the-game musical at 7 p.m., March 10; noon and 4 p.m., March 11. Tickets are $18, chsperform.booktix.com.

Pleasantville is ready to prove they love Conrad, oh yes they do, as they staged “Bye Bye Birdie” over the next two weekends. At 7:30 p.m., March 10, 11, 17, 18; 2 p.m., March 12. Tickets are $15 at pleasantvillehighschoolfopa.com.

Coach Bolton is getting his team ready for the big game at East High and reminding them to "get'cha head in the game!" Carmel High School presents "High School Musical," March 10 and 11 at George Fischer Middle School. Tickets and show info at: https://chsperform.booktix.com/
Coach Bolton is getting his team ready for the big game at East High and reminding them to "get'cha head in the game!" Carmel High School presents "High School Musical," March 10 and 11 at George Fischer Middle School. Tickets and show info at: https://chsperform.booktix.com/

Miranda, Matilda, Kander, Ebb

North Rockland High School brings the lights up on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” for the next two weekends. Performances at 7 p.m., March 10, 11, 16, 17, 18. Tickets are $15; $12 students, seniors, at nrhsdrama.BookTix.com.

Valhalla stages “Matilda,” the Roald Dahl musical that doesn’t involve Oompa Loompas or a giant, pitted fruit. Instead, it’s about a cruel teacher and a little girl with special powers. At 7 p.m., March 10; 1 and 7 p.m., March 11. Tickets are $15; $10 students, seniors; $5 for 10 and under. At showtix4u.com.

North Salem Middle/High School tells Kander & Ebb's story of headline-hungry killers and what they’ll do to stay in the papers. “Chicago: Teen Edition” performances at 7:30 p.m., March 10, 11; 2 p.m., March 12. Tickets are $10 advance; $15 at the door. our.show/NorthSalemMSHS/Chicago.

Which musicals open next week?

Next week, North Rockland and Pleasantville finish their runs and seven new musicals open. They are: “Twelfth Night” at Clarkstown North; “Oklahoma” at Haldane; “Mamma Mia!” at Hendrick Hudson; “Little Shop of Horrors” at Nyack; “Spamalot” at Tappan Zee; “The Addams Family” at Westlake; and “Fame” at Woodlands.

This article originally appeared on New York State Team: 'Into the Woods,' 'Something Rotten1' among new musicals this week