Does It Get Any Better ...

... than Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice performed this morning by our sixth grade boys? The musical didn’t stop moving from opening act to the final scene—breathtaking! Joseph's father, Jacob, played convincingly by Christopher V-R. favored Joseph and gave him a multicolored coat as a gift; as a result, Joseph, played handsomely by Patrick B. and Aidan S., was envied by his eleven brothers who saw the special coat as a sign that Joseph would assume leadership of the family. The rest of the story can be found in Genesis—the plotting of the brothers against Joseph, Reuben’s (played by Henry T.) interposition, the throwing of Joseph into the pit and the secret plan to rescue him later; the twist in Reuben’s absence, and the later discovery of Joseph in Egypt.

I’m not sure if I’ll ever fully recover for the intense stress experienced by my abdominal muscles when “the King” or should I say Pharaoh, aka Felix S. burst onto stage after a perfect, suspense filled, lead in—the accent, the drama, the singing ... the moves!

It was a masterful performance by the entire cast, especially the “unique and appealing” choreography by Maureen McCallister, our visiting professional. Who knew the boys could dance and move so fluidly, and with such purpose. Congratulations to all!

P.S. The night before the performance, my son at dinner, who had seen the dress rehearsal the day before asked, “Dad, what was Elvis doing in Egypt at the beginning of time?” What could I say but, “Elvis is everywhere, Max, everywhere!”

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OLIVER!

This morning our fifth graders continued a great year-end tradition at Saint David's, The Fifth Grade Musical. The boys performed Oliver! and they were fantastic, providing impressive performances and demonstrating great vocal ability. They have been mastering the dialogue and musical numbers for weeks, and clearly gave it their all. Congratulations to the cast on a job well done, and to their Producers/Teachers James Hubbard and Jamie MacNeille, Director Phyllis Clark, Musical Conductor Jeff Moore, and the Parent Committee of Cynthia Chapman, Susan Kissane, Tara Neumann, Joyce Restituto, and Ann Roberts. Musical theater is alive and well at Saint David's!

Fascinating Art Talk by Michelle Marder Kamhi at Grandparents Event

Yesterday evening, independent scholar and critic Michelle Marder Kamhi ( www.mmkamhi.com ), co-editor with husband Louis Torres of Aristos , an online review of arts; author of Who Says That's Art? A Commonsense View of the Visual Arts ; and grandmother of two Saint David's boys, gave a thought provoking talk on art for our grandparent community. An advocate of objective standards in arts scholarship and criticism, Ms. Kamhi focused her talk on the ways in which art critics such as Clement Greenberg promoted the shift from representational art to abstraction. Kamhi argues that the abstract and post-modern art prevalent today, which often requires explanation by docents in order to be understood, goes against art's purpose. Taking issue with Greenberg's contention that representation is an expendable convention of painting, she quoted the late art critic John Canaday: "Art is the tangible expression of the intangible values that men live by." ...

NE Patriot Tom Brady at Saint David’s

Last night, Saint David’s was honored to have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, four time Superbowl champion and three-time MVP winner Tom Brady, as the guest speaker for our Alumni Parents Council Lecture Series. Tom, who is the father of one of our Saint David's boys, addressed a standing-room-only audience in Hyman Hall comprised of our eighth graders, alumni, alumni parents and faculty. Friendly, introspective, witty, and wise, he directed his talk to the delighted eighth graders in the front of the room, and focused on the topic of leadership. “You are the young men and leaders of Saint David’s,” he noted. Tom debunked the perception that leaders are born not made, and credited his leadership abilities to “standing up to and facing fears” and to “cultivating a mental strength,” which he cited as “more important than being physically strong.” He also stressed the importance of working hard, honoring teamwork, believing in oneself and being a good lis...

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