By Barb Van Atta
“March Musical Madness.”
With a nod to collegiate basketball, that’s how Larry Kassan, director of special projects for the Binghamton City School District’s Rod Serling School of the Arts, describes the upcoming season of Broadway musicals presented by high schools in Broome County.
Performances begin this weekend — with Binghamton’s Anything Goes and Susquehanna Valley High School’s Grease — and continue through early May, with, as Kassan pointed out, many of the shows being presented in March.
Audience members who have not seen a high school musical recently will be in for a very pleasant surprise. Do not think of these ventures as “kid shows” but as serious amateur efforts complete with elaborate sets and costumes, strong direction and choreography, and bigger pit orchestras than some professional productions. And all for tickets of $10 or less.
Here’s a quick look at each school’s show:

  • Rod Serling School of Fine Arts at Binghamton High School, 31 Main St., Binghamton: Anything Goes, directed by Ariana Zbrzezny; 7:30 p.m. March 2 and 3, 2 p.m. March 4 in BHS’s Helen Foley Theatre; general admission: $8 (seniors/students, $6); tickets may be purchased at the door one hour prior to curtain; BCSD Gold Passes are honored at all performances.
  • Susquehanna Valley High School, 1040 Conklin Road, Conklin: Grease (school version), directed by Kathy Hattala; 7 p.m. March 2 and 3, 2 p.m. March 4; $7 (students/seniors, $5) at the door.
  • Union-Endicott High School, 1200 E. Main St., Endicott: My Fair Lady, directed by James Gleason; 7:30 p.m. March 8-10, 3 p.m. March 11; $9 (students/seniors, $7; balcony, $5); group discount on March 8; reservations: call 658-7165.
  • Chenango Valley High School, 221 Chenango Bridge Road, Binghamton:  The Sound of Music, directed by Carole Stanley; 7:30 p.m. March 9 and 10, 2 p.m. March 11; $10 (children/students/seniors, $8); reservations: email cvtheatertkts@aol.com or call 771-8690; more information: http://cvtheatertkts.webs.com.
  • Johnson City High School, 666 Reynolds Road, Johnson City: Guys and Dolls, directed by Jennifer Chudacik; 7:30 p.m. March 23 and 24, 3 p.m. March 25; $10 (students/seniors, $8); reservations: call 763-1232.
  • Vestal High School, 205 Woodlawn Drive, Vestal: The Secret Garden, directed by Austin Kiley and Elaine Nicholson; 7 p.m. March 22-24, 2 p.m. March 25; $8 (students/seniors, $5); reservations: call Linda Quilty, 798-1991.
  • Windsor High School, 1191 NY Route 79, Windsor: Legally Blonde, directed by Constance Lamando and Christina Salasny; 8 p.m. March 30 and 31; advance, $8, at the door, $10; reservations: call 655-8250.
  • Seton Catholic Central High School, 70 Seminary Ave., Binghamton: Godspell, directed by Jan DeAngelo; 8 p.m. March 30 and 31, 3 p.m. April 1; general admission: $8 (reservations not needed).
  • Maine-Endwell High School, 750 Farm To Market Road, Endwell: Grease, directed by Robert Graves; 7 p.m. April 20 and 21, 3 p.m. April 22; $7 (students/seniors, $5); reservations: 754-1400 ext. 2103.
  • Whitney Point High School, 10 Keibel Road, Whitney Point: Once Upon a Mattress, directed by Kenneth Jones; 7 p.m. May 4 and 5; $10 (students high-school age and under, $5); reservations:  call 692-8201, ext. 3028. Note: This is WPHS’s first-ever musical production.
  • Chenango Forks High School, 1 Gordon Drive, Binghamton: Into the Woods, directed by Stephanie Zajac and Jessica McBreen: 7 p.m.  May 4 and5, 2 p.m. May 6; general admission: $7 (students/seniors, $5).

Harpursville Junior/Senior High School, 54 Main St., Harpursville, has a spring production also, but it isn’t a classic Broadway musical. Instead, the students are presenting an original play entitled The Grand Royale Rip-off. Performances, directed by Joshua Buczek, are 7 p.m. May 11 and 12 and 3 p.m.  May 13.
If you are in one of these shows and would like to share your thoughts about the production, please join in the BAMirror conversation by leaving a comment here.