The upcoming performances of the classic musical “Oklahoma” March 22-24 and March 29-31 represent what will most likely be the final major productions in the Arcadia High School’s 250-seat Little Theatre.
The new 1,200-seat Performing Arts Center is on track to open this fall.

A group of key parent supporters of the AHS Theatre Department have been working diligently to leverage the final Little Theatre performances in 2011-2012 to raise awareness in the community as next year there will be an extra 1,000 seats to fill for the Award Winning Arcadia High School Theatre Department.

Corporate partnerships have been formed with companies such as Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary, which is funding the printing of posters for the community, providing water for the cast and audience, and purchasing group tickets for their employees to enjoy the show. The Rose Hills partnership also allowed for the very first advertising banner to be hung across Duarte Road last November. Another, promoting Oklahoma, will be hung and dedicated in a media photo op ceremony at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, this one a 35-foot banner across Huntington Drive at First Avenue.
Mayor Kovacic will be on hand at the unveiling.
“My emphasis this year as mayor has been volunteerism, and I am glad that Rose Hills, Denny’s, and the volunteers at our own Community Center have partnered with the high school’s theatre department for this production. It demonstrates an expanding community involvement with our talented students.
“Thanks to Measure I, the new performing arts center now under construction at the high school will create opportunities for many more community partnerships to help the theatre department provide Arcadia with top quality entertainment.”

Denny’s, at Huntington Drive and Santa Anita Avenue, is the Theatre Department’s second marketing partner and is selling tickets for Oklahoma 24-hours-a-day until the tickets are sold out.

In a unique arrangement that provides even more incentive for patrons, each ticket stub — any ticket stub for the play purchased anywhere — is worth $5 on any order of $15 or more at Denny’s. That means that a student or senior citizen could purchase a $10 ticket for the show and then save half the cost of the ticket by using the stub for a meal at Denny’s. Denny’s is also putting up posters and handing out postcards to promote the play to their customers. The ticketing system being utilized by the Theatre Department lets Denny’s put the $5 coupon right on the ticket when purchased online and the ticket holder can print as many $5 off coupons they choose.

A third partner, Dalvina Cookies, has made it possible for flyers to be passed out at all the senior centers and all senior living facilities in Arcadia, Pasadena, Monrovia, Duarte and Bradbury. In addition, Dalvina’s sponsorship is funding double the number of posters to be displayed at local businesses from last fall’s production. Some of the business participating are Ralphs, Albertsons, Fresh & Easy, Fasching’s Car Wash, and others.

Seniors can purchase special opening night discount tickets at the Arcadia  Senior Center / Community Center on Huntington Drive near Holly Avenue.

Tickets may also be purchased online at www.arcadiastage.com, where you may also purchase a Fast Pass, allowing you to bypass the line at the door on the night of the performance. Another option is VIP reserved seat for $25, which reserves a seat location of your choice until showtime at 7 p.m., along with a comfortable pillow.

The Theatre Department is continuing to look for additional partnerships from the 4,000 plus businesses in Arcadia.

As for the play itself, tickets are already selling fast with at least one prominent Arcadian anxious to see how today’s students translate the 1950s musical.“

“Arcadia has a rich tradition of excellent student musical productions,” said Mayor Kovacic. “Back in 1968, when I attended Arcadia High School, it was The Music Man, and I’m looking forward to this year’s production of Oklahoma.”

– By Scott Hettrick

The line started forming nearly two hours in advance and hundreds wound up winding all around the chilly Arcadia High School quad by the time the doors finally opened for the main event final of three back-to-back programs of the 45th annual Spaghetti Dinner and Recognition Show Saturday, Jan. 21, for the Marching Band, Color Guard, Pep Band, and Percussion.

Not only is the final show of the showcase focused primarily on the seniors of the units in their final year, this one drew many alumni students and parents who wanted to honor the retiring AHS Apache Marching Band Director Tom Landes.

Not a single person left the gym bleachers as the program continued until well past 11 p.m., being rewarded with a terrific three-minute video tribute to Landes by 2006 AHS grad and Marching Band and Color Guard alum JC Chang, who is producing a documentary about the AHS band program teased on YouTube called “Tradition of Excellence.”

Chang’s video tribute to Landes (HD version from YouTube embedded below following video) is included in the first video below that features two additional minutes of highlights of Saturday’s poignant and fun tribute to Tom Landes.

– By Scott Hettrick

While Arcadia School District officials and supporters wage campaigns on several fronts to cover millions of dollars in lost state funding, administrators have also been managing a recent flurry of high-level management departures and realignments.

Robert Leri, Deputy Superintendent, Educational Services and Programs

The changes were sparked by the resignation the first week of January — unexpected by most District staff — of Deputy Superintendent Robert Leri effective March 1, and the sudden retirement of Food Services Director Debra Amos on Jan. 10, effective immediately. Leri is leaving to become Superintendent/Chief Learning Officer of the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District.

Last week it was announced that popular Arcadia High School principal David Vannasdall would take on the additional role of Deputy Superintendent March 1 and leave his post as principal at the end of this school year to become Deputy Superintendent. On March 1 the District will begin a search for a new AHS principal, according to a memo e-mailed to all District employees last week from Superintendent Dr. Joel Shawn.

Debra Amos, former Director of Food Services

And Camino Grove Elementary School principal Brook Reynolds is being assigned this week as the interim Director of Food Services, Operations, and Transportation. Danae Popovich, Teacher on Special Assignment, will immediately take Reynolds’ place at Camino Grove as interim principal.

The resignation of Amos exacerbated the situation involving an unfilled vacancy for the past year that was created with the unplanned departure of Paul Letson as Director of Facilities, Operations, Transportation, and Maintenance.
Since then, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Christina Aragon has been supervising all those departments on top of her regular job.

While acknowledging that all of the above “represents a great deal of change,” Shawn said the District is fortunate to have the talent among current staff to fill the positions.

All this comes as  the District is trying to cover a projected $7 million annual budget deficit by preparing a mail-in election on Feb. 13 for a five-year parcel tax of $228 per-year on each taxed parcel of land for property owners that would raise about $3.4 million per year; while the Arcadia Educational Foundation just mailed out its annual solicitation last week asking every adult resident to donate at least $365 and every parent to donate $500 for every student they have in schools; and against the backdrop of Governor Brown threatening to cut another $4.8 billion from the already depleted education funding if voters don’t approve his proposed tax this summer. (School parcel tax web site here.)

Deputy Superintendent Leri, an outdoor enthusiast, said in an e-mail to the District that he will assume his new role in Tahoe Truckee April 2 as an opportunity to return to Central California where he grew up in the Modesto/Stockton area and lived in Mariposa County before coming to Arcadia in 1996.
“Living in a school district with at least five major ski resorts is exciting,” he said, but he noted that he is committed to helping pass the parcel tax and “being an active part of this district until my last day.”

– By Scott Hettrick

Arcadia High School will present the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma” March 22 – 24 and March 29-31.

Tickets are available now for purchase at the AHS Theatre Department web site, www.arcadiastage.com. Shows sell out well in advance so be sure to reserve your tickets early.

The Arcadia High School 18th Orchestra Benefit Dinner, themed “String Enchanted Evening”, will be held Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, at the Arcadia Community Center. This annual fundraising event benefits the instrumental music programs of Arcadia High School.

The entertainment for the evening begins with several student chamber music ensemble pieces. The highlight of this event will be guest artists, Oak and Gorski. Their classical cello and folk guitar blend the sounds of classical, country, rock, and indie music to create a unique sound, self described as “Cello Rock.” The evening’s grand finale will feature the “surround the audience” performance of the entire AHS Orchestras performed by over 330 students.

The doors open at 5:30 p.m. with appetizers and silent auction, followed by dinner at 6 p.m.

For ticket information or to make a tax deductible donation, please go to the Arcadia Music Club website, at http://www.arcadiamusic.org under Events-Orchestra Benefit Dinner.

For further information, contact us at:

Alison Wilcox: awilcox40@yahoo.com
Letty Chen: lettychen87@yahoo.com

Arcadia Music Club
Orchestra Benefit Dinner Chairs
PO Box 660131
Arcadia, CA 91066-0131