Tickets are still available for “Broadway Comes to St. John — The Angel Show,” the annual fundraiser for the St. John School of the Arts that brings together all fourth graders attending school on St. John for a festive evening of song and dance.
This year’s event will take place on Saturday, Jan. 31 and includes a postshow dinner at La Tapa Plage, one of St. John’s most celebrated restaurants. Tickets are $300 and are available on the St. John School of the Arts website or by calling the school at 340-779-4322.
Each winter for more than a decade, a team of Broadway professionals has arrived on St. John to provide three weeks of intensive training in the rudiments of singing, dancing, acting, and stage presence. They work with homeschoolers and the students in the three St. John elementary schools – the Julius E. Sprauve School, the Gifft Hill School, and the St. John Christian Academy.
This year’s original script — “Dreaming by the Sea” — was written by Andrew J. Hanley and Suzanne Dupree, who are now on the island directing the production. “We’re one week into rehearsals, and the production is coming together well,” said Hanley, a New York City-based composer, music director, teaching artist, and music therapist.
“We’ve got some very good singers this year,” added Dupree, who began her career touring nationally and internationally with “A Chorus Line” and now teaches dance and judges competitions.
In addition to providing the children with valuable experience in the performing arts, the program also teaches youngsters the importance of listening, following directions and teamwork.
“’Broadway’ is a truly transformative program for students,” said Jeune´ Provost, executive director of the SJSA. “We’re excited to see how the students blossom throughout their experience and share this splendor with the community.”
The School of the Arts is also selling raffle tickets to win four house seats to a Broadway show or production of choice in any U.S. city, subject to availability. Raffle tickets are $1,000 and are available here.
