‘Caesar the Musical’ showcases students diverse talents

SHERRY GAVANDITTI sgavanditti@cjn.org | @sgavanditti

The St. Clair Ballroom at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower in Cleveland was lled May 19 for e Growth Opps Carpe Diem Awards luncheon, where dozens of students from the Cleveland Metropolitan School is year’s competition was funded

District gathered for the announcement of winners in an essay, rap, poetry and video competition based on “Caesar the Musical,” a play written and directed by Mike Pettrone, a longtime Cleveland singer-songwriter and director.

So proud of you and all your accomplishments. Looking forward to the next chapter of your life. Love, in part by MacKenzie Scott and a grant was created to bring “Caesar e Musical” to CMSD students. Michael Jeans, CEO of Growth Opps, Joy Anzalone, COO of Burton Carol Management, and Pettrone also helped sponsor the competition. Winners received a $1,000 college scholarship from Growth Opps, and a cash prize. e $500 grand-prize winner was 10th grader Brielle Roberts for an original poem. Roberts attends Early College High School on the John Hay Academic Campus in Cleveland.

Judges were Bill Garvey, president of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, Mary Ellen Carras, curriculum and instruction manager, secondary gifted education, Advanced Placement and college readiness for the CMSD, Pettrone, Jeans and Anzalone,.

CMSD students submitted entries in April. Teachers picked the best submissions for judging.

“She’s an incredible reader and her favorite book is Fyodor Dostoevsky’s, ‘ e Brothers Karamazov,’” Pettrone told the Cleveland Jewish News. “When I read Brielle’s poem, I thought this student has an amazing command of the English language and she said she read Tolstoy’s War and Peace ... and loved it.”

Pettrone said nding young “geniuses” motivates him to continue the competition.

“ at’s what it’s all about,” he said. “It’s a gift to me to come across this amazing creativity.” e $100 rst prize for rap was Neil Johnson, who also attends Early College High School. e $100 essay winner was Landon Harris who attends the Cleveland School of Architecture & Design.

Two students won the best poem category and each won $100. ey were Kysean Palmore, who attends the Cleveland School of Architecture & Design and will attend Cuyahoga Community College this fall to be a re ghter, and Tre’El Ford, an eighth-grade student at Wade Park School in Cleveland. e best video award went to 17 juniors and seniors from Max Hayes Vocational School in Cleveland. ey received gifts from the Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

“ ey are intellectual geniuses,” Pettrone said of the contestants. “I hope they discover that about themselves and are encouraged,”

Pettrone spent 10 years creating his musical hoping to make it to Broadway, but changed courses when the pandemic hit and he and his wife, Kristine, also a musician, turned it into a lm which won 15 awards and was selected for 20 international lm festivals.

He said after getting involved with the CMSD, Anzalone and Jeans increased the cash prizes and joined his e orts, and more categories were added. He said he hopes to keep the program going and expand it to other districts.

“Mike Pettrone works so hard to spread goodness and to lift those that often cannot lift themselves which is why being a part of this for me is such a blessing,” Anzalone told the CJN.

“ ese students being recognized is creating something special. It helps build con dence and leads to a path of future achievement. is allows kids to share something inside them that is special. I’m blown away by this program. e fact that it came to CMSD makes it so special. Kudos to the teachers. ey aren’t just teaching, they’re molding human beings.”

Mazel Tov

SARAH GOODMAN

Juris Doctor