First Parish UU to host two elegant Valentine events

Proceeds to benefit First Parish Players theatre group

After last summer’s First Parish Players’ debut summer musical, Urinetown, wowed packed audiences, the theatre ensemble is already preparing for its second annual performance, Spring Awakening, this August.

Don Seaman, Elizabeth Cole Sheehan, Lindsey Seaman, and Willow Jayne Anderson rehearse “Hallelujah.”

First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 1508 Washington Street, will host two lively fundraising events next week just in time for Valentine’s Day. Refreshments will be sold at both events. All proceeds will benefit the troupe’s performances.

On Thursday, February 14, “Heart Beats Valentine Cabaret” will captivate audience members with a variety of musical numbers sung by talented First Parish members, with spirited piano accompaniment. Old and new favorites such as “Do You Love Me?” from Fiddler on the Roof, “Goodnight, My Someone” from The Music Man, and “The Rose” by Bette Midler, among many others, are bound to enchant and warm you to the bone. Admission is $10 and the performance begins at 7 p.m.

On Friday, February 15, put on your dancing shoes and bring along a friend to trip the light fantastic at a Valentine semiformal dance in the upstairs ballroom. DJ music will be provided and all are welcome. The dance begins at 7 p.m. and admission is $7.

First Parish Players is a theatre ensemble for cast members ages 16-25 with the goal of offering a safe, drug-free, and creative opportunity for teens and young adults to engage with each other while producing a high-quality performance for the community.

“It’s important for me and my peers because it gives us an opportunity to shine,” said Katy Sheehan, a 2012 graduate of Canton High School who is currently majoring in music at the University of Rhode Island. “The people in our age group are often picked on for the bad things many people in our group do, but here (FPP) it’s a place to have something creative and beautiful to be proud of, and for others to have pride in us, too.”

“It helped me push the boundaries of what I thought I could do and has urged me to move forward,” said Thomas Kiss, 21, of Holbrook. “It’s important to have an aspect of confidence in yourself.”

Last August, First Parish Players performed the 2001 Tony Award-winning musical Urinetown, just six months after conceptualizing the idea of a young adult ensemble. Grassroots efforts from publicity to holding car washes and a large yard sale yielded enough funds to put on a first-rate show.

This summer’s musical performance, Spring Awakening, with music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater, is based on the German play Spring Awakening (1891) by Frank Wedekind, which was banned in Germany for some time due to its controversial themes.

The updated musical debuted on Broadway in 2006 and launched the career of actress Lea Michele, who currently stars in the hit television series Glee. The original Broadway production won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Direction, Book, Score, and Featured Actor. Spring Awakening does contain some sensitive adult content and is not recommended for children, yet the story is beautifully crafted, heart-wrenching and endearing.

“Things like music, art, friends, and theater are essential in everyday life,” said FPP director Caitlyn McKiernan. “It helps create a balance from the usual chaos of job and home. Getting the chance to express myself on stage is an experience I would never give up. I didn’t know what the world was like until I saw someone else performing, and now it’s all I want to do. With the cabaret, we are fundraising and taking responsibility for ourselves to create. We’re giving and returning to society — something new and different.”

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Feb 6 2013. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.