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“Shipoopi!” A song from Norfolk Academy’s 2023 Winter Musical, The Music Man, cast members shouted the word in unison to celebrate each brilliant number with pitch-perfect harmonies, ballroom dancing, and unmatched energy. The smiles on the students’ faces matched the work and energy that they put into making the performance a hit … again.

A lot of factors went into choosing this year’s musical. It was highly requested and recently off-Broadway. But The Music Man was also the first production put on in the Samuel C. Johnson Theater when it opened in 2006, making it a great way to honor retiring Headmaster Dennis Manning. The theater’s first performance would also be his last.

Because of its more traditional nature, the success of the show was heavily reliant on the immaculacy of the vocals, especially the Barber Shop Quartet. Orchestra and Choral Teacher Cheney Doane played a pivotal role in working with the actors as they learned difficult melodies and harmonies.

“Everybody learns differently; some students need a lot of energy and attention, and some need to do things on their own with only an occasional check-in,” Doane said. “The better you can understand the members of the cast, the higher the level of the whole group can be.”

Doane’s hard work and dedication paid off. Audiences throughout performance week in February agreed that the vocal performances and on-stage orchestra sounded beautiful. In addition, Doane left an indelible mark on the entire cast.

“Mr. Doane’s dedication to his craft and generosity toward those with whom he works left the whole cast feeling fulfilled both musically and emotionally,” said Anna Russell ’23, who played Marian Paroo. “I have never met someone so humble, selfless, and full of energy and motivation for students and teachers of all ages.”

Another crucial teacher was Dance Master Elbert Watson, who choreographed and taught all of the dance numbers. For 40 years, Mr. Watson’s expertise in dance has elevated the musical, and he has loved every second of a program he said is unmatched in its ability to foster community and relationships between students from all grade levels.

“When choreographing a piece, I first assess how many people are involved and what their abilities are,” Watson said. “With the musical, there is a broad range of actors who have and haven’t danced before, so it’s crucial that the choreography is achievable for all levels. I come prepared with some combos, then it’s like a puzzle, where I am putting all the pieces together so the dance fits the set, is appropriate to the show, and is safe for all involved.”

The work put into the musical went beyond the stage. Throughout the season, the sound and lighting crew helped make the production polished. Every day, the sound team methodically set up stage microphones, miked actors, and performed sound checks, while lighting set up lights and ran projections and spotlights.

Taran Jeevan ’23, a captain of the sound team, brought knowledge and patience to a group that consisted of many eager but inexperienced members.

“During the show, we have people in the booth, house, and backstage,” Jeevan said. “In the booth, there are people on the board, who, when cued by a teammate following the script, mute and unmute actors, hanging mics, and stage mics, as well as run sound effects. We also have people in the house listening and telling the board when balance is needed. As for the people backstage, they are there to fix any problems that may arise in the middle of the show.”

The sound and lighting teams showed tremendous resilience. They had to be prepared for anything, as things could change even a few minutes before the curtains opened. During one of the first shows, Russell’s microphone stopped working, so the sound team had to quickly switch it out during her brief time offstage. The show went on flawlessly.

Drama Teacher Caroline Bisi brought all these moving parts together as the director of the musical. Since coming to the Academy in 2006, she has both cherished and cultivated her work on the musical.

“It’s always hard this time of year because the seniors are leaving, but they taught the younger generations how to do lighting and sound, to be respectful actors,” Bisi said. “It’s a proud moment because I’ve seen how much the seniors have progressed but also how much they’ve left on stage. I just hope they continue it to keep the arts alive.” ◆

Three Seasons, Three

NA’s TRIPLE THREAT TRADITION

In an era when many student-athletes specialize in one sport, chasing dreams of playing in college and then professionally, Norfolk Academy offers an exception. At its annual end-of-year athletics celebration, the school salutes student-athletes who have competed three seasons for all three years of Upper School; seniors who play three seasons also receive a VISAA award. Each year, it’s a large group, and many will continue playing in college.

Peter Galiotos ’25 is one of those dozens upon dozens of three-sport student-athletes. Baseball is his favorite and best sport; he made varsity as a ninth grader. But he also made the varsity basketball and varsity football teams in 10th grade.

Galiotos aims to play baseball in college in a few years. Still, he never considered abandoning basketball and football. To him, those two sports offer attributes that both benefit him on the baseball field and enhance his enjoyment of school life.

“You get to see different locker rooms and coaching perspectives, and get to meet new guys,” Galiotos said. “You make friendships you wouldn’t make otherwise.”

Finding time to improve in all three sports is not easy, Galiotos said. During the fall and winter, he’ll hone his baseball skills on weekends, throwing (catcher is his primary position) and hitting in NA’s dome. He’s also lifting weights late at night and running early in the morning before school, habits that benefit him in all three sports. Summer is devoted to more baseball.

Don’t think that Galiotos is focusing solely on athletics, though. He prides himself on being well-rounded and an active participant in school life; last school year he was a sophomore representative on the Tunstall Honor Council.

Galiotos still remembers being in first grade and looking up to the studentathletes who played three sports and were popular for the many different activities they did around school.

“Make the most of your time,” he advised younger students. “Try new things.”

Gabby Harvey ’23 played volleyball, basketball, and lacrosse at NA. She excelled enough that at Graduation in May she received the John A. Tucker Award, given to the senior girl who made the greatest contribution to the girls athletic program.

“When I think about Gabby, I think about her heart,” said Trish Hopkins, Middle School Assistant Director and Varsity Volleyball Coach. “She is a talented athlete in so many respects: skilled, strong, fast — so fast. But her heart stands out the most.”

Like Galiotos, Harvey devoted her weekends and summers to workouts and practices that helped her improve in all three sports. She also never considered dropping one or two of them. She will attend the College of Charleston and hopes to play volleyball and perhaps lacrosse at the club level.

“Every sport is so different,” she said. “And I like the team aspect of all of them. I met so many of my best friends on sports teams.”

Ruby Garrison ’23 played field hockey and soccer and ran indoor track at NA. At graduation she received the Country Day School For Girls Award, which goes to the senior girl who exemplifies a superior degree of devotion and commitment to the unselfish pursuit of excellence in academics and in athletics.

To her, that busy schedule is natural. “I could never imagine myself going home at 3:15,” she said.

Garrison has played soccer since she was about 4 years old and it’s her favorite sport. She was a varsity captain this spring and loved that leadership role of helping younger players improve. She picked up field hockey before she entered Middle School, and track while in Middle School. Each of those sports offers her specific benefits: The field hockey program has won several state titles and carries a storied tradition; the girls indoor track team had strong chemistry and won a state title this year.

“They all have very different team cultures,” Garrison said. “I can be myself and get something different out of playing, and that’s important to me.”

Director of Athletics Chad Byler was a multi-sport athlete growing up, then pitched for four years on Messiah College’s baseball team. He offers a bevy of reasons why student-athletes benefit from playing different sports.

Specialization can lead to overuse of body parts, which can cause injuries, Byler said. It also can lead to burnout. And contrary to what many might think, college coaches value multi-sport athletes because they’ve demonstrated a lot of different skillsets.

“Playing three sports, we put our student-athletes in a lot of different competitive situations,” Byler said. “That makes them better prepared to perhaps play in college, and it makes them better prepared for life.” ◆

A STELLAR 2022–23 CAMPAIGN

Norfolk Academy did plenty of winning on the athletics fields last school year, with both individuals and teams earning numerous conference and state championships.

Varsity sailing won state titles in both the fall and spring seasons. Girls indoor track won a state title in the winter. And dozens of rowers, runners, swimmers, and wrestlers won individual championships — and even national acclaim — over the course of the year.

Among the other notable stats from 2022–23:

29 student-athletes will compete at the collegiate level student-athletes played three sports during their senior year

17 were three-sport athletes throughout their time in the Upper School 14 teams won TCIS conference championships 16