Ball room gowns. Gentlemen coats. Dress pants and fancy shoes. This can only mean one thing: it’s time once again for the theater.
The director, Diana Cushway who retired as a full time instructor returns to the stage to bring us the biggest collaboration skyline has ever seen. Bringing with her the combined talents of Skyline: theater, cosmetology, and choir.
The theme of this collaboration is Victorian style with clothing inspiration taken from the time period along with hair styles and the music being carefully chosen by both Cushway and Dr. Jude Navari, Director of music.
The first half of the play will focus on the choir music and the second half will be the choreographed section where Skyline Students will dance in synch with the music. In keeping with the theme the dancing will be traditional period dance styles, and all performers will be lectured on Victorian history and culture.
This idea of an all Victorian style performance with live choir and historically accurate attire comes from the mind of Cushway, who got this idea many years ago when she was a student herself.
“When I was in college my modern dance teacher came in one day and asked if we would like to be in a classical ballet” Said Cushway “And she went and bought the most beautiful dance skirts and costumes for both the men and the women and she had us dance to the schools orchestra”
To this day Cushway has not forgotten that experience of dancing on stage to a full orchestra, it meant so much to her that she hoped that one day students as skyline could feel the same way she did back then.
Her urge to recreate that experience eventually resurfaced in 2008 when attending a skyline choir performance.
Any and all skyline students are welcome to audition for roles and men are especially welcome. Along with performers, seamstresses, costume designers, and dressers are also welcomed to lend their talents.
Auditions start on the 7th of September in the skyline main library and/or lobby. Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays from 6:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. with the actual performances being on December 4 and 5.
“I came up with the idea for this whole show after going to see the choir sing in December 2008, I sat there and saw the whole thing in my head.” Said Cushway “When I met with Jude last fall to discuss my ideas he was very excited about the project”
A year later she came dressed in a Victorian costume to another choir concert to promote her idea for the collaboration a year later.
With this being one of the biggest projects any of the clubs involved have undertaken respectively, Cushway sought out the help of professionals Dr. Jude Navari Director of music, and Cinthia Saenz one of the cosmetology instructors.
“We are all on equal grounds here and we trust one another” Said Cushway “I need people who are extremely patient and know what they’re doing.”
People like Dr. Jude Navari, who is no stranger to Victorian style music or indeed a stranger to performing concerts both here at skyline and other colleges. Though this being his first here at skyline, as well as his first time he and Cushway has teamed up for the choir’s concert.
“Visually speaking [this] is going to be big” Said Navari “The project focuses heavily on visuals, but the choir music will of course be provided by us”
He and those in the choir department are very excited about this project. According to Navari this project is big not only for skyline but for his department as well.
“Usually in today’s time choir music is recorded but the real challenge here is the music will be done live for the project”
Since this is all to be done Victorian style performers will need look the part as close as possible. This is where Cinthia Saenz comes into play as her role is to coordinate hair and makeup for the project.
“Our main goal is to collaborate with our fellow students on campus” Said Saenz “To be able to use our skills to help another club out and to practice in backstage experience”.
However out of all the clubs involved in this project the cosmetology seems to be the odd man out. This being a very different from what they’re normally used to.
“There is a big difference from salon work and stage work” Said Saenz “Right now the most challenging part is being able to coordinate because there’s so many people involved it’s really going to come down to when everyone is available and when is the best time to practice”
Though this fish out of water experience hasn’t stopped cosmetology students from wanting to lend their talents for skyline. According to Saenz they have been practicing and ready to go.
“We just hope that in general that this brings a lot of publicity to the skyline college campus, our main concern really is to let people know what skyline can do”
Auditions start on the 7th of September in the skyline main library and/or lobby. Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays from 6:15 to 8:15 with the actual performances being on the 4th and 5th of December.
Any and all skyline students are welcome to audition for roles and men are especially welcomed. Along with performers Seamstresses, costume designers, and dressers are also welcomed to lend their talents.
To Cushway this is her big chance to show what skyline can do. Up until this point she thought she would never do another show again, but the ideas for this just would not go away.
“In many ways this is my payback to skyline.” Said Cushway “I felt had to do this, to do something really gorgeous on stage with live music and stunning costumes”
