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Community Corner

High School Spring Musicals Readying to Open

Grosse Pointe North, U of D Jesuit & Liggett performing Curtains, Singing In The Rain and Hairspray.

Putting on big, splashy musical productions is no small task. Even for the most seasoned veterans who deal with essentials such as choreography, music, props, lighting and stage direction, musicals pose some of the most logistically challenging -- yet spectacular -- end results. Starting this weekend, those results can be seen on a stage near you.

First up is the University of Detroit Jesuit production of Singing In the Rain, the classic story about the movie industry as it moves from silent pictures to talkies. St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic School (Grosse Pointe Park) grad Isaac Piepszowski, now a junior at U of D, earned the lead role of Don Lockwood. After two years of playing supporting/chorus roles in Westside Story and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Piepszowski is ready to take on the lead role once again.

"I can say with 100% confidence that St. Clare prepared me to be in musicals," he said. "I have so much experience on the stage. At St. Clare I learned so many of the little things -- getting into character, how to stand on stage, how to project.

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"Our musical this year is going to be amazing. We have a lot of fun things planned." One hint -- it is called Singing In the Rain!

Piepszowski is now in his eighth year performing in school musicals. In his final two years at St. Clare, he won the lead roles in Peter Pan (Peter Pan) and Jesus (Godspell). Two other St. Clare alum -- Patrick Roache and Reyna Martinez (Renaissance High School) -- are also in the U of D production.

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Singing In the Rain runs February 24-27 at Thurston High School’s auditorium in Redford (just off I-96 at Beech Daly Road). Showtime for Thursday-Saturday is 7:30, with the Sunday matinee starting at 2 p.m. To order tickets (priced at $15), please go to the U of D Jesuit website.

Next weekend, get ready for 's musical mystery Curtains, the story of a police detective and theater-actor-wannabe Lt. Frank Cioffi who attempts to solve the case of the mysterious murder of a cast member who collapses to her death just after the curtain call. She was poisoned, he concludes, but who did it? Lt. Cioffi sequesters the entire cast to feret out the one who did the deed.

Directed by Grosse Pointe's Marty Bufalini, Curtains provides a whimsical and comical look at theater with all of its personalities, divas and drama. This is the eighth GPN production directed by Bufalini, and it is quickly becoming one of his favorites.

"It's a play within a play, so the audience is going to see things they wouldn't normally see at the PAC (Performing Arts Center)," he said. "For example, they're going to see the back wall. We're going to be using the catwalks; bodies will be flying around. We're doing some things that are going to be a lot of fun."

Curtains runs March 3-5 at the school's Performing Arts Center; all shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Wild Birds Unlimited or at the door. Main floor tickets are $15 ($10 seniors and students), balcony general admission tickets are $8.

About 35 students have been preparing for Hairspray, which opens March 3 and continues through March 6. Reserved seats are $8 and open seats are $5. To purchase tickets click here, or you may also visit the school's . 

to give Pointers a sneak preview of the musical. They performed a song with dance on each of the four corners at St. Clair Street and Kercheval Avenue.  

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