SBISD’s Fall Fine Arts Season Filled with Big Events

Spring Branch ISD’s high school theater departments will present an all-district musical, In The Heights, to kick off this year’s incredibly ambitious fall season.

Aside from big holiday time productions like A Christmas Carol, SBISD hasn’t produced an all-district student musical like this before.

An ensemble cast of 39 students will bring the high-voltage In The Heights show to life with lovable characters, a contemporary Latin-flavored musical score, and Tony Award-winning, hip-hop dance moves.

Set in New York City’s Latin-American neighborhood of Washington Heights, In The Heights won Best Musical and three other Tony Awards while on Broadway. Its neighborhood characters all wear their hearts on their sleeves. The story told is sweet and sentimental.

Student auditions were held in May. “We chose The Heights after looking at a lot of shows,” says Terry Hibbert-Ismert of Spring Woods High, who is a production manager. “We felt that it was exciting and contemporary, a solid show that would engage all members of the community. We have a huge commitment from theater departments across the district.”

Helping Hibbert-Ismert to stage this all-district musical is a Stratford High School alumnus, Monroe Moore, who will direct. Christine Cutler of Spring Woods High is music director. Nicole Morgan and Jay Matthew, both of Memorial High, are technical directors. Stratford High’s Cece Prudhomme will coordinate costuming, and Westchester Academy’s Andrew Maddocks is production stage manager. Handling instrumental music are Danielle of Memorial High and Rick Keith. Northbrook High’s Jack McEwen will assist with technology.

Memorial High’s Theater Director Nicole Morgan notes that collaboration is one of huge benefit for all involved. SBISD encourages partnership and collaboration, she says. “Theater is collaboration each and every day, and >In The Heights lets us show how pulling together works. It builds relationships among our students and allows more students to benefit from our programming,” Morgan says.

In addition, the stage production calls for a diverse ensemble cast, which would be difficult to perform at a single school due to casting requirements. Students have a new opportunity to work with teachers who specialize in certain areas, too, giving them new insights into learning as well as new theater-related techniques.

The all-district musical will be presented Oct. 15-17 in the Memorial Performing Art Center auditorium on Echo Lane at Memorial High School. A special matinee will be held for district schools. Cost is $15, and tickets can be purchased through www.mhstheatre.com.

Other fall musical productions include Leading Ladies, presented by the Stratford High Playhouse. The production is based on a pair of down-on-their-luck English Shakespearean actors trying to make a fast fortune while touring the Pennsylvania Amish countryside.

At Memorial High, the season will include several Black Box Theatre offerings, as well as the November family comedy Over the River and Through the Woods. The Spring Woods Theatre Safari Players will present Almost, Maine, in November, an imaginative set of short plays about love and loss.

Westchester Academy for International Studies will present Cinderella this fall. It will be followed next spring by Antigone, the Greek tragedy written by Sophocles.

A variety of band, choir and orchestra performances will be offered, too, including the annual, all-district bands Extravaganza production held at Tully Stadium. Fine arts performance listings reported at this time include the following:

September 2015

17, A Night of Theater, Memorial High Black Box Theatre, 7 p.m.
30, SBISD Band Extravaganza, Tully Stadium, 6:45 p.m.

October 2015

2, Murder Mystery Dessert Theatre, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
5, Spring Woods High/Spring Oaks Middle Choirs Fall Preview, SWHS Auditorium, 7 p.m.
6, Northbrook High Combined Choir Concert, NHS Auditorium, 6 p.m.
6, Stratford HS Symphony Honor Orchestra Concert, Tallowood Baptist Church, 7 p.m.
6, Memorial High Choir Fall Short & Sweet Concert, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
6-8, AYAM Biennale 2015, Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily
8, AYAM Biennale 2015, Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum, 5-7 p.m.
8, Choir Fall Concert, Landrum Middle School Auditorium, 6 p.m.
9, Memorial Orchestra Fall Concert, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
9, Westchester Choir Classical Concert, Westchester Academy Theatre, 7 p.m.
13, Spring Forest Middle Fall Choir Concert, Spring Forest Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
14, Memorial Middle Symphonic Band Fall Concert & Social, Courtyard Area, 5:30 p.m.
15, Stratford High Orchestra Fall Concert, Stratford High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
15-17, In The Heights (All SBISD Production), Memorial High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
17, In The Heights (All SBISD Production), Memorial High Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.
22, Spring Branch Middle Band Concert, Dinner & Auction, SBMS Auditorium, 5:30 p.m.
22, Theatre Spookfest, Spring Forest Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
22, Spring Woods High Fall Orchestra Concert, SWHS Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
22-24, A Bad Year for Tomatoes, Northbrook High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
22-24, Leading Ladies, Stratford High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
24, Leading Ladies, Stratford High Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.
27, Spring Woods Middle Band Fall Concert, SWMS Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
27, Coffee House, Memorial High Black Box Theatre, 7 p.m.
27, Stratford Choir Fall Concert, Stratford High Theater Auditorium, 7 p.m.
28, Band Halloween Concert, Spring Oaks Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
28-30, Leading Ladies, Stratford High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
29, ComedySportz HS League Improvisational Theatre, SWHS Mini-Theatre, 7 p.m.
30, Singing With the Stangs’ Star-Spangled Banner, Tully Stadium, 7 p.m.

November 2015

4, Stratford High Symphony Performances, The Renaissance Festival, All Day
5, Spring Forest Middle Band Fall Concert, Spring Forest MS, 6:30 p.m.
6-7, Cinderella, Westchester Academy for International Studies Theatre, 7 p.m.
12-14, Rhinoceros, Stratford Black Box Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
12-14, Over the River & Through the Woods, Memorial High Black Box Theatre, 7 p.m.
13, ComedySportz HS League Improvisational Theatre, SWHS Mini-Theatre, 7 p.m.
13-14, Cinderella, Westchester Academy for International Studies Theatre, 7 p.m.
14, Over the River & Through the Woods, Memorial High Black Box Theatre, 2:30 p.m.
19-21, Bobcat Playhouse Fall Into Theatre, Spring Forest Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
19-21, Almost, Maine, Spring Woods Mini-Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
20, War Letters, Spring Woods Middle School Auditorium, 6 p.m.
21, Almost, Maine, Spring Woods Mini-Theatre, 2:30 p.m.
23, Almost, Maine, Spring Woods Mini-Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

December 2015

3, All Choir Holiday Concert, Landrum Middle School Auditorium, 6 p.m.
3, Stratford High Orchestra Winter Concert/Potluck Dinner, SHS Auditorium, 7 p.m.
3, Memorial High Choir Winter Concert (Combined Choirs), Memorial High Auditorium, 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
3, Northbrook High Orchestra Winter Concert, Northbrook High Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
4, Westchester Choir Winter Concert, Westchester Academy Theatre, 7 p.m.
5, It’s Showtime! Choir Camp (Elem. and Middle school choirs), Memorial HS, 2 p.m.
8, Memorial Middle Band Winter Concert, Memorial High Auditorium, 6 p.m.
8, Stratford Choir Wassail Dinner, Norris Conference Center/Town & Country, 6 p.m.
8, Spring Forest Middle Band Winter Concert, Spring Forest MS, 6:30 p.m.
8, Northbrook High Band Winter Concert, Northbrook High Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
8, Spring Woods High Orchestra Winter Concert, SWHS Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
8, Stratford High Choir Winter Concert, Stratford High Theater Auditorium, 7 p.m.
8, Memorial High Band Winter Concert, Memorial High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
10, Spring Oaks Middle Band Christmas Concert, Spring Oaks MS, 5:30 p.m.
10, Spring Branch Middle Winter Concert, SBMS Auditorium, 6 p.m.
10, Spring Forest Middle Orchestra Winter Concert, Spring Forest MS, 6:30 p.m.
10, Spring Woods Middle Band Holiday Concert, Spring Woods MS, 6:30 p.m.
10, Stratford High Band Winter Concert, SHS Auditorium, 7 p.m.
10, Landrum Middle Orchestra Concert, Landrum Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
11, Memorial High Orchestra Winter Concert, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
12, Aladdin Junior with Kids Camp day experience, Memorial High School, 2:30 p.m.
13, Landrum MS Choir Christmas in the Park, Spring Branch Presbyterian Church, 4 p.m.
14, Spring Forest Middle Choir Winter Concert, Spring Forest MS, 6:30 p.m.
15, Spring Woods High Sounds of the Season, Tallowood Baptist Church, 7 p.m.

January 2016

14-15, HLS & Rodeo Student Art, Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum, All Day
19, HLS & Rodeo Student Art, Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum, All Day. and 5-7 p.m.
28-29, Northbrook High Winter Musical, NHS Auditorium, 7 p.m.
28-30, Anything Goes, Stratford High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
28-30, The Producers, Spring Woods High Main Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
28-30, Kiss Me, Kate, Memorial High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
30, Guys and Dolls, Northbrook High Auditorium, 2 p.m.
30, The Producers, Spring Woods High Main Theatre, 2:30 p.m.
30, Anything Goes, Stratford High Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.
30, Northbrook High Winter Musical, NHS Auditorium, 7 p.m.

February 2016

1, The Producers, Spring Woods High Main Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
5, Bobcat Factor Talent Show, Spring Forest Middle Auditorium, 4:30/6:30 p.m.
1-6, Kiss Me Kate, Memorial High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
4-6, The Producers, Spring Woods High Main Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
4-6, Anything Goes, Stratford High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
4-6, Kiss Me, Kate, Memorial High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
5, International Baccalaureate Theatre Showcase, Westchester Theatre, 7 p.m.
5-6, The Producers, Spring Woods High Main Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
6, Kiss Me, Kate, Memorial High Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.
6, The Producers, Spring Woods High Main Theatre, 2:30 p.m.
6, Anything Goes, Stratford High Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.
9, Northbrook High Choir Valentine Concert, NHS Auditorium, 6 p.m.
9, ComedySportz HS League Improvisational Theatre, SWHS Mini-Theatre, 7 p.m.
18, SBISD Middle School Choir Pre-UIL Contest, Spring Oaks MS Auditorium, 5 p.m.
22, ComedySportz HS League Improvisational Theatre, SWHS Mini-Theatre, 7 p.m.
23, Coffee House, Memorial High Black Box Theatre, 7 p.m.
24, Cinderella, Spring Woods Middle School Auditorium, 6 p.m.
26, Memorial High Orchestra Masterworks Concert, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.

March 2016

1, Choir Pre-UIL Concert, Landrum Middle School Auditorium, 6 p.m.
1, Choir Pre-Contest Concert, Spring Forest Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
3, SBISD Pre-UIL One-Act Plays, Northbrook High Auditorium, All Day Event
3-5, Sophocles’ Antigone, Westchester Academy Theatre, 7 p.m.
7, SBISD Pre-UIL Choral Festival (High School Choirs), Memorial High Auditorium, 3 p.m.
8, ComedySportz HS League Improvisational Theatre, SWHS Mini-Theatre, 7 p.m.
9, SBISD Pre-UIL Middle School Band Concert Festival, Spring Branch MS, All Day
10, Stratford High Band Spring Concert, Stratford High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
10, Memorial High Choir MadJazz Show, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
23, SBISD Pre-UIL High School Band Concert Festival, SWHS Auditorium, 3 p.m.
28, Memorial High Choir Spring UIL Preview Concert, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
29, Northbrook High Pre-UIL Concert, NHS Auditorium, 6 p.m.

April 2016

1, Memorial High Symphony Orchestra Concert, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
4, Pre-UIL Concert, Spring Woods High Main Auditorium, 7 p.m.
5, Stratford High Choir UIL Concert, Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, 7:30 p.m.
7, ComedySportz HS League Improvisational Theatre, SWHS Mini-Theatre, 7 p.m.
7, Spring Woods High One Act UIL Play, Spring Woods High Main Theatre, 7 p.m.
11, Spring Forest Middle Band Pre-Contest Concert, Spring Forest MS, 6:30 p.m.
14-16, Crimes of the Heart, Memorial High Black Box Theatre, 7 p.m.
21, ComedySportz HS League Improvisational Theatre, SWHS Mini-Theatre, 7 p.m.
22, Westchester Choir Spring Concert, Westchester Academy Theatre, 7 p.m.
28-30, A Chorus Line, Stratford High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
29-30, Markette Spring Show, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
29-30, Northbrook High Spring Play, Northbrook High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
30, Running For the Arts, Memorial City Mall, 8 a.m.

May 2016

2, Memorial Middle Band Spring Concert, Memorial Middle Gym, 6 p.m.
4-7, Oklahoma!, Spring Forest Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
5-8, What’s My Colour?, Spring Woods High Main Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
6, Memorial High Orchestra Spring Concert, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
6-7, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Westchester Academy Theatre, 7 p.m.
6-7, A Chorus Line, Stratford High Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.
7, A Chorus Line, Stratford High Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.
7, What’s My Colour?, Spring Woods High Main Theatre, 2:30 p.m.
10, Orchestra Spring Concert, Spring Forest Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
10, Spring Woods High Orchestra Spring Concert, SWHS Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
10, Stratford High Band Awards Concert, SHS Auditorium, 7 p.m.
10, Memorial High Band Spring Concert, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
11, Band Spring Concert, Spring Oaks Middle Auditorium, 5:30 p.m.
12, Landrum Middle Orchestra Concert, Landrum Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
12, Spring Forest Middle Band Spring Concert, Spring Forest MS, 6:30 p.m.
12, Spring Woods High Choir Pop Show, Spring Woods High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
12, Northbrook High Talent Show, Northbrook High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
12, Stratford High Orchestra Spring Concert, Stratford High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
12, Stratford High Senior Show, Stratford Black Box Theatre, 7 p.m.
12-13, Memorial High Choir Pop Show, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
13, Stratford High Choir Pop Show with Senior Solos, 7 p.m.
13, Westchester Advanced Choir Pop Show, Westchester Academy Theatre, 7 p.m.
13, Bandoleras Spring Dance Show, Northbrook High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
17, Northbrook High Spring Band Concert, Northbrook High Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
17, Spring Forest Middle Choir Spring Concert, Spring Forest MS, 6:30 p.m.
18, Band Spring Concert, Spring Woods Middle Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
19, Northbrook High Spring Orchestra Concert, Northbrook High Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
19-21, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Memorial High Auditorium, 7 p.m.
21, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Memorial High Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.
24, Northbrook High Choir Pop Show, Northbrook High Auditorium, 6 p.m.
24, Choir Spring Show, Landrum Middle School Auditorium, 6 p.m.

Note: Special reservation and pricing policies may apply for some theater and campus events. Seniors who are 65 years old or older seeking STARCard discounts for events should always check special reservation and pricing policies ahead of show times.