Drury to Perform Manilow's 'Copacabana'

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Drury High School Performing Arts Center will bring Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" to the Drury auditorium this week.
 
More than 65 students in the Drury arts wing will take their audience to where "music and passion were always the fashion" when they perform the musical based on Manilow's 1978 hit song this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
 
"No one around here has really done 'Copacabana.' It is unique and is one of the first jukebox musicals," Technical Director Jamie Choquette said. "Also, it fits well with the groups of students that we have … we could visualize the parts right away."
 
The musical, that will be directed by Drury Stage Company Director Kate Caton, is about an aspiring songwriter writing about Lola who travels from Tulsa to New York City to break into showbiz. She meets Tony, a bartender, and composer, who falls in love with her and helps her become a Copa girl.
 
Lola then attracts the attention of club owner Rico who abducts her and takes her to his rival nightclub in Havana.
 
Tony and the whole Copacabana crew then set off to rescue Lola.
 
Choquette said after performing the musical "Amadeus" last year, they decided to do something a little more upbeat. 
 
"We did 'Amadeus' and it was huge but it was really dark and long and I think that the kids just wanted to have fun and 'Copacabana' is just a lot of fun," he said. "It has more color and flair … and we have pretty deep resources for technical stuff here and were able to be more creative with audio and lighting."
 
He said the musical utilizes the entire department including the band and the Drury Performing Arts Management class. He said students also helped design the set.  
 
Also, because the musical has a lot of dancing, they could bring in other students who may not have participated in a DPAC production before.
 
"We brought in a lot of kids who were just doing dance privately," he said. "Some students out there on the stage would never have been if it was just singing and acting. Those students are feeling more welcomed and we hope to get them more involved."
 
Choquette said the show opens Thursday at 7  p.m. There are also shows at the same time Friday and Saturday. There will be a matinee Saturday at 2. Tickets will be sold at the door.
 
"I think Drury offers something very unique and special in the arts … that I just don’t think you usually see at the high school level," Choquette said. "I think our community owes it to themselves to see what their students are doing."
 
"I think that there has always been a struggle to get the community up the hill and whatever we can do to get them up to see it we will do," he said. "We rarely get anyone that is disappointed." 

Tags: DPAC,   Drury High,   high school musical,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories