The power of creativity and theater in Rockville Centre

Posted Wednesday, May 30, 2012 7:00 pm

Rick Cisario, left, John Manna and Daquan Johnson watched as Josie DeMarco pleaded with Bryan Nesdill, the man behind the curtain, in this year’s Centre Stage production. Cisario and Nesdill co-wrote the show with Ellen White.

Susan Grieco/Herald

Photos by Susan Grieco/Herald

Catherine Kildunne

The Centre Stage Club of South Side High School put on its fourth annual theater production last Thursday night. This year’s show was “The Wizard of South Side,” an original take on “The Wizard of Oz.”

“The Wizard of South Side” was written by Bryan Nesdill, Rick Cisario and Ellen White. The high school’s auditorium was nearly overflowing as family members, students and faculty joined to enjoy the production. The play opened with the entire cast dancing to “Party Rock Anthem” — the rest of the show continued with the enthusiasm and verve that song brought out in the performers and the audience.

The production really was a celebration of the power of creativity and theater. Performers and crew members alike, from the general education and special education populations of the school, came together to put on a fabulous production.

“Centre Stage allows everyone to put their creative ideas together and to express their talents in new ways,” said Alyssa Quagliata, a choreographer for the show. The excellence of the production attested to the hours of hard work put in by everyone involved. Centre Stage is a club that brings out the best in its members, through both the yearly performance and the friendships that last a good deal longer.

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