The Academy Players, a community theater group located in Providence, will be performing the Rhode Island state premier of the musical They Chose Me here at NPHS. They Chose Me will be performed on November 15th, at 7pm; November 16th, at both 2 pm and 7pm; and on November 17th, at 2pm. Tickets for the show cost are $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, and $10 for students. Three students from NPHS are participating in the production of They Chose Me. Jacob Kaufman, a junior, will be playing the part of Carl Grossbaum, while seniors Sara D’Angelos and Joshua Howell are a part of the production team for their Senior Projects. Melissa Thomas, who is the current head of the english department at NPHS and co directs the NPHS Drama Department, is also serving as a board member for Academy Players, and is the assistant director for many of their shows. Ironically, she was part of the cast in the Academy Players’ production of Almost, Maine, which NPHS Drama is performing this year.
They Chose Me is a family musical about different stories of adoption, as told from the perspectives of characters ages seven to eighteen. The musical covers the different aspects of adoption, from multicultural families, to foster homes.The show was written and composed by Ned Ginsburg and Michael Colby.The inspiration for They Chose Me came from Ginsburg’s special relationship with his own adopted son, Alex. Ned Ginsburg is famous for his composing, as he has composed for the Disney Channel, CBS television, ABC television, and the Academy Awards. Michael Colby has written the lyrics to many shows, such as North Atlantic, Delphi or Bust, and Charlotte Sweet(for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award). They Chose Me has a total of thirteen songs, and can be performed as either a 55 or 85 minute musical.
The Academy Players of Rhode Island is a community theater group based in Providence. The Stage Door Project is the community outreach branch of the Academy Players, and is committed to giving back to the community. During each night they perform a show, Academy Players will hold raffles and accept donations to raise money for a charitable causes, such as the American Red Cross Foundation, and the American Cancer Society. In addition, Academy Players has also donated money to organizations here at NPHS, such as the Literacy Team, and National Honor Society, by letting them run the concession stand and keep the money they make.
Academy Players has close ties to NPHS. The current CEO of Academy Players, Rita Maron, graduated in the NPHS class of 1982, while her husband Tom Maron graduated from NPHS in 1980. The mission statement of the organization reads: “The mission of Academy Players is to foster and encourage the development of and commitment to the highest standards of community theater including excellence in production, management, governance, community relations and service, all while contributing to the RI community, all while raising funds and awareness for different charitable organizations.”
By: Brian O’Gara