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My Return to Broadway…

January 12, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Junior Indy Behr

I have always enjoyed seeing shows on Broadway. I saw my first performance of The Lion King when I was seven years old. Since then, I have returned about eight times to see several shows. Because of COVID, I have not been able to go back since November 2019 when I saw Beetlejuice at the Winter Garden Theatre. My first show since COVID shut down Broadway was also Beetlejuice, yet it was very different from my first visit.

The Original Production of Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice is a musical based on the Tim Burton-directed film of the same name. Though the basic plot is relatively similar, there are some major differences. It’s also, of course, a musical, making it very different from the initial work. It initially opened for tryouts in Washington, D.C., in October 2018, where it developed itself over time before moving to the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway in April 2019. Initially opening to somewhat mediocre reception and lackluster sales, its reviews and finances drastically improved within a few months, partially thanks to popularity on TikTok. On the site, hundreds of people danced to Beetlejuice’s “Girl Scout” song.

I initially saw Beetlejuice in December 2019, just a few weeks after the Winter Garden Theatre announced it would be ending the show, or as Beetlejuice’s promotional material framed it, evicting the show. The show’s run was scheduled to end abruptly in June 2020 (like all Broadway shows, it ultimately closed in March 2020). It was closed to make way for an adaptation of The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman. This move was very controversial, and instantly the Beetlejuice the musical publicly shared their attempts to move it to a new Broadway theater. Ultimately, the musical announced after two years of searching for a new home that it would be re-opening with a near-identical cast at the Marquis Theatre on April 8, 2022.

The Return of Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice resumed performances on April 8, 2022. This was always intended to be a limited run, and it closed on January 8 after eight months of shows. That being said, it will be going on tour and will be hitting Los Angeles in July and San Diego. I should probably note this musical is recommended for those thirteen and above.

How to Always Win at Monopoly

October 11, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Junior Indy Behr

I asked the Blog Staff to share their special skills. Indy, unbeknownst to most of us, is a skilled Monopoly player and student of the game. If he pulls a Monopoly board out during Scarefest, think twice before accepting his challenge to play.
Blog Advisor Zachik

I am an avid fan of Monopoly. I have over 20 sets and have many strategies to help me win. Keep in mind that a lot of people use “house rules” when playing, but this article will go with the assumption that you will be playing by the true rules. This means no Free Parking Money, and no getting extra money for landing on Go. I am going to show you how to create a housing shortage, how to stay in jail for your own benefit, why railroads are not good, and why rolling a seven is so important.

The Housing Shortage Strategy

One of my favorite strategies for winning at Monopoly is the housing shortage strategy. Now you have to really nitpick the rules to discover this one, but it’s very effective. If you get two full-color sets of a property, I say that you should always buy four houses, and do not upgrade to a hotel. This is because in order to build a hotel, you need four houses, and those houses need to be physically present. As such, if you have two full-color sets, you can build 24 houses when only 32 come in the box. This means that no matter how many color sets another player gets, they can only build up to eight houses or one hotel. You’ve created a housing shortage, to your advantage.

The Jail Strategy

This one apparently is pretty popular among professional Monopoly players, but I figured this one out on my own. By letting other players go three times while you avoid ever having to hit any of their properties, you can both save and make a hefty amount of money. Though some house rules freeze imprisoned players’ assets, this is not actually a rule. This means that if you stay in jail, you can get potentially thousands of dollars from other players while you never even move. There is, however, one flaw to this method: you are forced to roll each time the dice come to you, and if you roll a double, you will be forced against your will to leave jail rather than paying $50 at the end of your sentence.

Utilities and Railroads

Many people don’t know this one, but utilities are pretty much never worth your time, and it’s often the same with railroads. A world Monopoly champion has stated that there is only a 3% chance that someone is actually going to make a profit off of these properties. After all, with utilities, the maximum you can get is $120 when it costs $300. With railroads, it is incredibly difficult to make a profit. If you only get one, you need someone to land on it eight times to break even. If you have two, you still need eight. And, you can’t build houses or hotels on them!

The Rule of Seven

I found this strategy probably five years ago, and though it only works in specific circumstances, this trick has easily become my favorite of them all. I am not a math expert by any means, but what I do know is that when rolling two six-sided dice, you are most likely to roll a seven. This is where this strategy comes into play. If someone is exactly seven spaces away from a property of yours with a color set, move every house to it immediately. You can switch it back right after, but this gives you a high probability of draining all of their money. You can also use this trick to your advantage in other ways, like not buying something significant if you are seven spaces away from a $200 tax.

So, now you know a few surefire ways to beat your opponents the next time you play a game of Monopoly.

Monopoly anyone?

The Art of Collecting Vinyl

August 24, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Luke Sonderman

Why Vinyl Records Are Still Relevant

Vinyl records were released to consumers almost 90 years ago, giving everyday people the ability to listen to the exact music they want without having to turn on a radio (thevinylrevivers.com). This revolutionary invention changed the way people could enjoy music forever!

To this day, vinyl records have been one of the most prominent ways to listen to music amongst the pickiest listeners. Now, you may think that vinyl is dead because of streaming and downloading music, but YOU ARE MOST UTTERLY WRONG! Mark Michalek of Fluance, a home theater company, said, “[A] proper vinyl pressing will reproduce an uncompressed signal with no additional artificial sound processing such as dynamic compression resulting in a greater effective dynamic range for a more life-like sound” (techradar.com). Through the uncompressed vinyl sound we can allow our ears to hear all of the frequencies of the music as if it was being performed in front of us. With streaming and downloading, we do not get the same live effect.

Collecting Vinyl

Listening to the sound on vinyl records isn’t the only part of the massive appeal. Vinyl records have become collectables, and some even sell upwards of two million dollars! (hmv.com) Many vinyl stores sell their records pre-owned which creates a large vinyl scavenging frenzy. When a collector walks into a vinyl store, they have no idea what treasure they may walk out with. You may buy a first edition Led Zeppelin print worth thousands, or you may find an old worthless Zappa album that isn’t worth skat.

Personally, I don’t search for valuable gems. I just look for pre-owned cheap records from groups I like because the new prints are wicked expensive.

What To Look For When Buying Pre-Owned Vinyl

Inspect the vinyl record’s cover. If the cover is in good condition, it is a good sign that the record will also probably be in good condition. If the cover is in bad condition, the record will most definitely be in bad condition. When you find a record in perfect condition with a very beat-up cover, there is a large chance that the cover is not original to the record and the same can be said vice versa.
Check if the record has a sleeve inside the cover. Never buy a record without a sleeve. The vinyl cover will scratch the record if there is no sleeve protecting it. Of course, if a sleeve is very torn and worn, the record was probably taken in and out of the cover many times. Usually, record stores will replace the sleeve if it is torn, which is good because when you buy a record you want to be able to maintain its condition.
Of course, you need to check the condition of the record itself. Often, used records in record stores have accumulated lots of dust and grime which you will want to brush off before purchasing the record. After dusting off the record, look for any scratches on the record. As a general rule of thumb, if you can feel a scratch with your finger, then the stylus (needle) will be able to feel it too. Also check to make sure that the record isn’t warped and is completely flat.

If all of that checks out, then you should be good to buy the record. When spending large amounts of money on vintage records, I would recommend you ask the store owner if you can play the record before purchasing it, but I buy my records for less than 10 dollars, so it’s not a big deal to me.

Here is a list of recommendations for used vinyl albums you should buy:

Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin
Appetite for Destruction – Guns and Roses
Wasting Light – Foo Fighters
Shout At The Devil – Motley Crue
Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin
2112 – Rush
Too Fast For Love – Motley Crue

Oliver’s Ranking For Every Star Wars Movie

May 11, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

Due to the fact that this month we celebrated May-the-4th-Be-With-You Day (AKA Star Wars Day), I’m ranking every main-story Star Wars movie: ninth being the worst and first being the best. I’m leaving out some other movies that aren’t main series like The Clone Wars, Solo: A Star Wars Story, etc.

Spoiler Alert: In Oliver’s rationale as to his rankings, he drops in some details as to how the movies climax and resolve. But, in the words of Luke Sonderman, if you haven’t already seen a Star Wars movie, you’re probably not going to go out and see one now.

Number 9:

The Rise of Skywalker

This movie was terrible; it has a horrible ending for a great trilogy that Star Wars was. To me this movie seemed boring. The lightsaber skills were appalling; the main villain (Palpatine) being brought back also wasn’t good because it’s like they bring him back every single movie; and he miraculously survives everything when he should’ve been dead a long time ago. It was so bad even Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 52% (rottentomatoes.com).

Number 8:

The Last Jedi

Do I even need to explain? This movie was BAD. The movie felt awfully long; some scenes even seemed unnecessary. Luke Skywalker acting like a coward? Really? All the past Star Wars movies worked to make Luke look like a leader, a legend perhaps. But in this movie, tossing the lightsaber and… milking an alien? That just throws everything else to the bin. Also, Snoke being killed right away although the movie makes him look super powerful is just absurd. Pretty much nothing works in this movie. The only reason this is above The Rise of Skywalker is because it has a higher score in Rotten Tomatoes; it scored a 91% from official critics and 42% from the audience.

Number 7:

The Force Awakens

This movie is… well boring. Easily one of the least creative. For people who watched this movie before any other Star Wars film, it may seem wonderful. But it lazily recycles old ideas like blowing up a star base, being in a sand world, etc…. There was some good acting. The death of Han Solo was heartbreaking, and the mistakes were not as severe as in The Last Jedi or in The Rise of Skywalker, so this movie is just a meh, and takes the seventh spot.

Number 6:

Attack of the Clones

Attack of the Clones is the series Episode 2. It definitely has more romance than any other Star Wars film. We can see how Anakin starts taking a liking for the dark side. There is some character development, etc. This movie is definitely not the worst, but the other movies are better.

Number 5:

The Phantom Menace

The Phantom Menace is the first episode of Star Wars. In this movie we get introduced to Qui-Gon Jinn, who finds Anakin. This movie has some really good parts in it. Like the lightsaber duels, acting, and the racing scene. This movie has gotten a lot of criticism for being too “childish.” People say the characters are too exaggerated or the racing scene is a bit ridiculous. But, in my opinion, the movie is still good.

Number 4:

Return Of The Jedi

Here we see the true dedication of the hero. George Lucas develops this movie fantastically. After Vader saves Luke, you can see how there’s still an Anakin inside of Vader. Although Palpatine doesn’t die (Palpatine is revived in the movies that follow), this heroic act of Vader makes the movie so much better. Apart from that, the opening scene–with the plan to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt and how Han Solo gets unfrozen–was epic. This movie is an art piece and barely comes behind number three.

Number 3:

A New Hope

This movie is easily one of my favorites. It’s a must watch from the Star Wars series; the movie takes the hero on a journey, as Princess Leia requests Obi-Wan’s help. The acting is brilliant; the plot is exciting; the movie is fun, as we go from place to place trying to save Princess Leia, the actors fit perfectly to their roles; the effects are amazing, like the CGI of the Star of Death is great, and the design of the lightsabers are really awesome; everything about this movie works. Easily one of the best.

Number 2:

The Empire Strikes Back

Arguably one of the best films of all time, The Empire Strikes Back. This movie makes the hero work; Luke Skywalker loses his hand, and the lightsaber; he doesn’t beat Darth Vader, and the “I am your father” line from Darth Vader is an absolute classic. Also, the addition of Yoda to the cast is great. It makes the movie so much more mysterious and interesting as he pours his wisdom into Luke. This movie is a must watch, and every aspect of it works and makes it feel more and more exciting.

Number 1:

Revenge of the Sith

Although some may disagree, this movie is in my opinion the best Star Wars movie. It was sad how Annakin had turned to the dark side and become Darth Vader, and how he tried to kill everyone that he loved. The fighting scenes were absolutely amazing, as the lightsaber animations were on point, and the CGI was great throughout the movie. Obi-Wan trying to convince Anakin to come back to the Force was so heartbreaking with the classic line, “You were the chosen one. It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them!” In this quote Obi-Wan tells Anakin how disappointed he is in him for betraying the Jedi. This movie made almost everything work; it was brilliantly executed, and the acting was amazing.

Now, remember these are only opinions. Everyone can have their favorite movies. If you want to disagree, leave your opinion in the comments!

Geocaching–Modern-Day Treasure Hunting

May 10, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Lilah Nick

What is geocaching? Geocaching is sort of a “global treasure hunt” where people look for hidden “treasure” or stashes. Geocaching can also be considered as a series of hide and seek games. People online will provide clues to where their cache is for other seekers to find. The seekers use a GPS to find the hidden cache.

There are three main rules in geocaching:

Take something from the cache.
Leave something in the cache.
And write about it in the logbook, which is inside the box.

The caches are usually in some sort of box, but they are usually small, waterproof, and made of something like plastic, metal, or wood. You might find things like a camouflage Altoids container, an old can of nuts, or an emptied ammo box. Caches are usually hidden, but cannot be buried or intrusive.

Photo credit: NPR

When Geocaching launched in 2000, there were only 75 caches, and now there are over three million around the world. There are also millions of players finding caches. Some people play to see how many caches they can find or to see how many new places they can visit. Geocaching is a great way to get outside and find some hidden places you wouldn’t have seen otherwise. A common way to search for caches is to go on to the official geocaching website geocaching.com. Once you make an account, you’ll get access to a map that has the locations of all the caches around you.

My family and I mostly went letterboxing (the older version of geocaching), which is the same thing just using a series of clues instead of a GPS. I mostly went geocaching and letterboxing in Northern California. When I would go, we would sign the logbook with individualized stamps. I had an owl stamp, and my brother had a palm tree. We also made our own stamps.

Overall, geocaching is a really fun hobby to try out this summer.

“I’ve been geocaching! And it was a blast!”
Luke Sonderman, sophomore

“Geocaching is a really fun to explore your communities, and I often find really cool areas in nature that I didn’t know existed.”
Indy Behr, sophomore

I say, try it, it’s a great way to get out of the house.

Comedy Tonight at PVS

May 3, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

Comedy tonight was a theater show where students at PVS performed multiple plays that aimed to bring a smile to whomever was watching. The PVS theater classes prepared for over a month for this show. The show played Wednesday, April 6th, Thursday the 7th, and Friday the 8th. Some plays or songs that were part of the show included the beginning scene of the Wizard of Oz, Pure Imagination, Good Morning Baltimore, The Gold Rush, The Cat in the Hat and so much more!

I have interviewed students who acted in the play compilation.

I asked them what role they played and if they enjoyed it.

“In Comedy Tonight I was one of the MC speakers, and I was also the Pawn Shop Man/Frankie in Gold Rush, written by Oliver, Tal and Zander. I did really enjoy both of these parts, especially Frankie in Gold Rush.”
Sherwin Hemmati

“I was part of the opening quartet, Jeff in Gold Rush, Tin Man in Wizard of Oz and solo singing ‘My Favorite Things.’ I really enjoyed all of them.”
Tal Maruvada

“I was part of the sonnets and of the MC. I didn’t really like doing the sonnets, but I liked doing the MC.”
Michael Pete

The Production Team’s Perspective:

As part of the Production Team, I was helping in lights and was stage manager. I’d say this was a really successful play because we got laughs from the audience, everyone remembered their lines, and the production team made few errors.

Fellow Production Team member Kayliee Augustine-Sails agrees:

“I’m part of the lights, and I think it went well. The actors did their job.”

I have also interviewed members of the audience:

“My favorite part of the play was Good Morning Baltimore. But everything else was good, too.”
Timothy Reed

“I liked Comedy Tonight, but it took a long time to finish. My favorite play was Gold Rush.”
Donavan Knott

*Gold Rush* actors in this scene include, from left to right, Oliver Martinez, Zander Eaton, Tal Maruvada, and Sherwin Hemmati.

Lastly, here are a few words from our director Mr. Hilbert:

“I liked how we had different types of comedy. The acting was good; the singing was good. I’m really proud of all the actors.”
Mr. Hilbert

Comedy Tonight was an amazing experience, hopefully we see more people in future plays. Like . . . High School Musical! PVS’s next production, High School Musical, premieres next week, May 10th and plays through the 13th. Get your tickets now with Ms. Greer at the Middle-School Desk.

Everything That Happened at the Oscars

April 14, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Lilah Nick

By now you have probably heard about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock over a joke involving Jada Pinkett Smith looking like G.I. Jane. You’ve probably also heard that Will Smith went on to win Best Actor for King Richard. I have watched the video of The Slap at least 20 times. It’s all my family and friends could talk about the next day. Despite this crazy interaction between Smith and Rock, so many other things happened at this year’s Oscars–from outlandish outfits to the first deaf man to win Best Supporting Actor.

Best of the Red Carpet

Let’s start with the beginning of the night, the Red Carpet. So many beautiful gowns and tuxedos were worn–but also some really bad ones that make you question, “Who’s idea was that?” We’ll start with the best of the night.

Lena Waithe

Lena Waithe wore a neutral tone suit. It was my favorite suit presented on the Red Carpet. It looks so good on her. It’s classy, looks amazing, and isn’t just a plain black tux.

Lily James

Lily James, who you may know from playing Pamela Anderson in the new show Pam and Tommy, wore one of my favorite dresses on the red carpet. It’s so beautiful, elegant, and looks incredible on her. I love all the embroidery and the added train in the back.

The Worst

Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart, nominated for best actress for her performance in Diana, was wearing Chanel. I totally get that her outfit was much more than a fashion statement, but it definitely could have been . . . better. I don’t think she should have worn shorts for a red carpet event. The jacket would have been classier with a pair of pants. Her hair is also not my favorite. I just don’t like it. The deep side part is not in right now. It’s not 2012 anymore.

Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer, one of the hosts of the Oscars, was wearing Oscar de la Renta. Whoever decided she was going to wear this seriously did her dirty. I hate the bow; it’s so unnecessary, and it could be so much better for being The Oscars. This looks like something that’s sold at Macy’s for six year olds. Her dress also received a lot of backlash on Twitter. People were calling it “Hideous,” “God awful,” “so ugly,” and “unnecessary.”

Firsts

Ariana Debose won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and was the first openly queer woman of color to win.
Troy Kotsur won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and was the first deaf man to win an Oscar.
CODA was the first movie from a streaming platform to have debuted at Sundance to win an Oscar.

The Jokes

After The Slap, everyone stopped making the kind of jokes that might have made things less awkward. Everyone was waiting for someone to get on stage and make a joke to release the tension in the room. Amy Schumer finally came back out and relieved that tension, but it was about an hour after the incident. She came out and said, “There’s like… a different vibe in here,” and there was a roar of laughter.

There was absolutely no way that everyone would have forgotten about The Slap. But, more jokes to ease the tension would have made watching the rest of the Oscars more comfortable.

On that note, there were a few jokes that worked. These from co-host Amy Schumer:

“I’m Amy Schumer or as they know me in Hollywood, ‘Melissa McCarthy said no.'”
Independent

“After years of Hollywood ignoring women’s stories, we finally got a movie about the Williams sisters’… dad.”
Independent

The Festivals are Coming…

April 6, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

By Luke Sonderman

Finally, after a three-year hiatus, Coachella Music and Arts Festival is returning to the Coachella Valley from April 15-24. The lineup has been released, and the wristbands are being sent out. So let’s talk about what this year’s Coachella will look like.

Lineup:

This year’s headliners are Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Kanye West (who has pulled out–his replacement just announced; get ready for Swedish House Mafia x The Weeknd). Personally, I don’t like any of the headliners, but I know that they are very popular right now and a lot of people are hyped to see Harry Styles perform songs from his new album that is coming out in May.

I am looking forward to seeing the Skeggs, Wallows, Surf Curse, Phoebe Bridgers (to see what the hype is all about), and Current Joys.

Tickets:

Right now Coachella tickets are EXPENSIVE!!! Although they are advertised as $450 for a General Admission ticket, after taxes and fees, the total ends up at around $620. I decided to also buy a shuttle pass (which is a shuttle that drives back and forth from different locations across the desert to the festival), and it ended up costing me around $110 after taxes and fees.

Masks and Vaccinations:

Originally, Coachella was going to require either proof of vaccination or a negative test result to enter the festival, but recently they changed that rule due to newer California Covid-19 regulations. Since I am going on the second weekend, I will probably wear a mask since there is so much dust at the polo grounds after the Weekend One-ers stomp through the grass, but you aren’t required to wear masks.

Stagecoach Festival:

Every year I enjoy going to Stagecoach Festival, which occurs the week after Coachella. Stagecoach is a much more laid-back festival with lots of country and classic rock. The tickets are cheaper than Coachella, but there are less stages set up. If it is your first time going to a music festival, I recommend going to Stagecoach.

Stagecoach Lineup:

This year’s stagecoach headliners are Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Combs. I am not the craziest country fan, but I am super excited to see the underliner, The Black Crowes–if I end up going to Stagecoach this year.

If you live in the Coachella Valley and have never been to one of the famous festivals at the Polo Grounds, you are living under a rock. Go have some fun at Coachella or Stagecoach. You can still get tickets. Maybe you’ll see me there!

Remembering Taylor Hawkins

April 5, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Luke Sonderman

On March 25, 2022, one of the greatest musicians of all time died on tour in South America. Taylor Hawkins, who was most well known for being the drummer of the Foo Fighters, was far more than just a drummer.

Taylor Hawkins had many musical inspirations: Genesis, Neil Peart (the drummer for Rush), and Steward Copeland (the drummer for the Police) to name a few (ultimateclassicrock.com). Still, Taylor Hawkins’s favorite band was Queen with drummer Roger Taylor (ultimateclassicrock.com). When hearing of Taylor Hawkins’s death, Roger Taylor said it felt like “losing a younger favorite brother” (cbs58.com).

Taylor Hawkins began his professional music career touring as the drummer for Alanis Morissette. At only 23 years old, Taylor began to get lots of attention as a drummer without taking away Morissette’s spotlight (pitchfork.com). In 1997, Dave Grohl, frontman of the Foo Fighters, approached Taylor Hawkins about being the band’s touring drummer after their last drummer quit. The world was shocked when Taylor joined this new, small rock group after touring with such an iconic artist, but Taylor joining the Foo Fighters started what is now one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

Dave Grohl, being the famous drummer of Nirvana, recorded the drums for the albums Foo Fighters and The Colour and the Shape. After joining the band, Taylor Hawkins recorded the drums and toured for every album since.

Aside from the Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins worked on many side projects–such as his solo band, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders. Along with his solo career, Hawkins also played in a cover band, Chevy Metal, which ended up writing originals and renaming themselves Birds of Satan. He also appeared on a few albums by Coheed and Cambria.

My personal favorite songs that Taylor Hawkins appeared on are…

Arlandria

DOA

Dear Rosemary

Bridges Burning

Congregation

The Sky Is A Neighborhood

Many influential artists have commented on Taylor Hawkins tragic death.

Perry Farell from Jane’s Addiction said, “Taylor Hawkins died yesterday. He was my best friend. Beloved in my home by my wife, my children, even my dogs. Whenever Taylor came over, we would make music in the den. [Our dog] Cloud would always go and sit right by him. He was one of the most passionate drummers I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. When I think of him, I sum it up with one word: Velocity. He had the gift to maintain a confident, striking and stroking velocity on drums” (americansongwriter.com).

Paul McCartney from the Beatles commented, “Taylor’s sudden death came as a shock to me and the people who knew and loved him” (loudwire.com).

Geddy Lee from Rush said, “He was such an incredibly positive source of music, energy and love, and a true artist to his very core….there are simply no words to adequately express just how much he will be missed by all – including . . . the entire Rush family” (nme.com).

Tommi Iommi from Black Sabbath stated, “I woke up this morning to hear the awful news of Taylor Hawkins’s death. What a terrible loss to us all. He was such a lovely guy and such a brilliant player” (washingtonpost.com).

Axl Rose of Guns N Roses said, “Shocked n’ saddened to hear of the passing. [He was] a really great guy, drummer n’ family man” (washingtonpost.com).

Travis Barker of Blink-182 said, “I don’t have the words. Sad to write this or to never see you again. I’ll never forget Laguna Beach days when I was a trash man playing in a punk-rock band and you were playing with Alanis. You’d come watch me play in dive bars and be like, ‘Kid, you’re a star.’ And I thought you were crazy, but you gave me so much hope and determination” (ew.com).

High School Musical in Palm Valley School

March 29, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent & Theater Technician

This week, Oliver writes about the play High School Musical that is currently in production in our Drama Department. We hear from the actors live. – Editor-in-Chief Jesse Denyer

High School Musical is a play written by Peter Barsocchini and composed by David Lawrence. You probably know it as a movie starring Zac Efron and a series streaming on Disney+. It’s a play which includes plenty of music and dancing. To summarize the play, High School Musical has four different groups of people: the brainiacs, the jocks, the cheerleaders, and the theater kids. It’s an exciting film or play where some teens go through problems and stress but find the way to fix it by working together. In Theater Production class taught by PVS’s Mr. Hilbert, we are doing the lighting, set designs, makeup, costumes and more. There are two classes that will make this play happen: Theater Production and Theater Performance. In Theater Production, we are learning more about the play and memorizing lines. We are waiting on a specific date of when the play will be performed. I interviewed some people from both classes to see their thoughts on the role they got and on the class itself.

“I feel like Ryan is an expressive acting role. Since he is the more submissive twin, he doesn’t have lots of lines. I’m still happy to get this role as it’s my first production.”
8th-grader Tal Maruvada

“I think my role as Chad is pretty cool. I wanted Zeke as my main option, and Chad was my second choice. I’m still very glad that I got Chad because he plays basketball and he has a good personality.”
8th-grader Sherwin Hemmati

We hope you guys are excited for the play. We have been practicing and soon the play will be ready for performance! See it in the Palm Valley Black Box Theatre (the MPR) this spring.