Karina 4/18/21 Karina 4/18/21

Beatlemania Now at the Strand

The first live show of the year - “Beatlemania Now” at the Strand Theater in Zelienople. If you love the “Liverpool Four” and haven’t seen this show, I would definitely recommend it. The auditorium is quite spacious but there are just a few rows, so you feel totally present in the show from any seat. What’s your favorite Beatles song?

Karina 4/14/21 Karina 4/14/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Zoe

Zoe was a thunderstorm on stage. You couldn’t look anywhere else when she was on stage. She played Yente and was the embodiment of a busybody and a matchmaker in the most hilarious way.

Her other interests are playing golf, extreme board gaming, and writing cool music at Vanderbilt.

Karina 4/13/21 Karina 4/13/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Ian

Ian played Lazar Wolf in Sewickley Academy’s Fiddler on the Roof. When watching Ian on stage, I kept coming back to the thought that he looks a lot like Pierre Bezukhov from Leo Tolstoy's “War and Peace”, specifically in Sergey Bondarchuk’s screen adaptation, when he’s saying “When our lives are knocked off course we imagine everything in them is lost. It is only the start of something new and good. As long as there is life there is happiness. There is a great deal, a great deal still to come.”

Karina 4/12/21 Karina 4/12/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Grace

Three more features from Sewickley Academy’s Fiddler on the Roof.

Grace played Yussel, the town hatter. Can you tell it was her first time being in the cast of a show?

Karina 4/8/21 Karina 4/8/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Nikki

Nikki’s interests besides theater are painting, singing, and playing the piano. Artistic people always have more than one talent. It is always entertaining to watch dynamics between the actors’ ensemble behind the stage and Nikki always, always radiates this kind warm aura that makes at ease people around her.

Karina 4/7/21 Karina 4/7/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Felicia

Felicia trains at the Pittsburgh CLO Academy and radiates this professional actress confidence both behind the scenes and on stage. She performed Chava in Sewickley Academy’s senior school musical “Fiddler on the Roof” and she added depth and multidimensionality to her character, so vulnerable and strong at the same time.

Karina 4/6/21 Karina 4/6/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Alex

Here’s another brilliant performance by Alex in Sewickley Academy’s senior school musical “Fiddler on the Roof”. If there’s an emotional scene on stage, her face is always the one you look at. Bravo, Alex!

Karina 3/25/21 Karina 3/25/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Jayne

Jayne is a semi-professional actress already. She’s been involved in PAC and CLO productions and her favorites are Annie Jr. and The Sound of Music. In “Sewickley Academy’s “Fiddler on the Roof’“ she portrays Bielke, so gentle and fragile. Jayne has a beautiful voice and I can’t wait to hear her sing again.

Karina 3/24/21 Karina 3/24/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Mira

Throughout the years, Mira has played fascinating characters: an asylum patient, a fairy, a loving nun, an intelligent girl, and a teapot. This time she is portraying Tzeitel, the oldest daughter of Tevye (Ibrahim) and there was a hurricane of emotions every time Mira was on stage.

By the way, Mira was voted “Most likely to study before and after the test” in the yearbook. I’m sure this trait was crucial in success on stage and everywhere else.

Karina 3/23/21 Karina 3/23/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Catherine

Catherine has been involved in eight Sewickley Academy productions, including The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. In “Fiddler on the Roof”, she had a lead role as Golde, the matriarch of the family and her witty and hearty wife and mother of 3 girls character was very relatable.

I was delighted to read her bio where she thanks her mom for “being a superstar and supporting her love of theatre!”

Susan, you did a great job as a mother!

Karina 3/18/21 Karina 3/18/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Ibrahim

I first saw Ibrahim as Jean Passepartout in Around the World in 80 Days earlier that year and his striking acting talents were obvious even for an amaeur theater lover like me.

This time he was given a lead role as Tevye in Sewickley Academy’s “Fiddler on the Roof” and his character was endearingly comic and tragic at the same time.

Karina 3/17/21 Karina 3/17/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Serena

Serena played Avram and Fruma-Sarah in Sewickley Academy’s “Fiddler on the Roof”. Her complete transformation from a bearded aging man to a scary haunting ghost was striking.

I also secretly suspect her connection with the world of fairies - human girls don’t have hair this beautiful.

Karina 3/16/21 Karina 3/16/21

Actor’s Portfolio for Connery

This is Connery. It was his third and final year performing in the Sewickley Academy theater program. He’s been involved in The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, Beauty and The Beast, and Around the World in 80 Days.

Connery was voted “most likely to end up on Broadway” by his peers in the school yearbook. Godspeed, and see you on Broadway!