It’s time for the Woodrow Wilson spring musical. This year’s production will be “Singin’ In The Rain.”
Woodrow choir director Marca Lee Bircher directed her first musical for Woodrow in 1975 and has done one every spring since. Bircher depends on several production crew members, many of whom are neighborhood residents, to come back year after year to help with the show.
One of the most loyal helpers is choreographer Patricia Hardman, who has helped with the productions since 1978. Even when Hardman moved to California in 1980, she commuted back every year to choreograph the spring production. She and her husband finally moved back to Dallas in 1993, so this year it was not such a trek for her.
Scenery designers actually pulled off making it rain for this year’s production. Neighborhood residents Ken Hansen, John Cagley and John Hardman designed and built the sets. Hansen and Cagley started helping with the scenery several years ago when their children were students at Woodrow. Even though their children graduated, Hansen and Cagley still come back to help out.
Jane Echols will play the piano for the musical, just like she has done every year since 1975. Joining her will be Richard Howell, who has played the piano for the production since 1982. And alumni Laura Watson Triplett will come back for a second year to play the keyboard.
The production will also feature a silent film segment that was produced by Woodrow alumni Jason Hammond and Eric Hansen. Also, Marca Lee’s son, Preston Bircher, will take his vacation on the dates of the production to do the lighting for the show. And Bradley Sue Howell, Woodrow’s librarian, recruited her son, Mark Howell, to do the sound.
Bradley Sue says it’s not hard to convince everyone to come back every year.
“It’s so fabulous, you just want to be a part of it,” she says. “It takes so much work and effort that when you see it, you’re so proud of it.
“We’re having movies. We’re having rain. You’ll just hate yourself if you miss it.”
The show will be March 10-13 at 7:30 p.m., with a 2:30 p.m. Matinee on Sunday. Tickets are $6 for general admission in advance and $7 for reserve. At the door, tickets are $6.50 for general admission and $7.50 for reserve. For ticket information, call Carol Hensley at 826-0700.
News & Notes
WINNING MATHEMATICIANS: The St. Mark’s School of Texas math team recently won first place at Mathcounts, a math competition at SMU. They will travel to Austin for a state competition. Team members are Sam Black, Aubrey Clayton, Justin Guyett and Jbeau Lewis. In individual honors, Black took first place, and Lewis came in fifth for individual honors and fourth in the countdown round. In May, the team will represent Texas at a National Competition in Washington, D.C.
STUDENT WINS A TRIP FOR TWO: Alex Sanger third-grader Eric Mendershausan won two Southwest Airlines ticket and a 72-hour stay at a La Quinta Inn in an essay writing contest. Mendershausan and his father will use the prize to visit his grandmother in California for her 80th birthday.
PROM PROMISE: The Prom Promise campaign is sponsored by Nationwide Insurance. In the weeks leading up to prom, there will be special activities at Woodrow Wilson to create an awareness about drunken driving and to get students to pledge not to drink or use other drugs on prom night. Schools with the highest number of pledges will receive cash awards.
