Wakefield Celebrates New Performing Arts Center

Wakefield Celebrates New Performing Arts Center

By Sophia Carey

A peaceful silence fell over the crowd as they moved their gaze from their delicious meals to the newly designed stage before them.

The opening night gala to celebrate the recently completed Performing Arts Center at Wakefield School, otherwise known as the George L. Ohrstrom Jr. Theater and Auditorium, had officially begun.

Ashley Harper, Wakefield’s Head of School, and Piers Carey, vice president of the Board of Trustees, at the recent gala celebrating the school’s new performing arts center.

Courtesy Photo

As the performers, as well as talented accompanist Hexin Qiao, anxiously awaited their cues, the audience took their seats at one of the many elegantly decorated tables for a scrumptious dinner.

They soon shifted their focus from food to Ashley Harper, Wakefield’s Head of School, and Piers Carey, Vice President of the Board of Trustees and one of the leaders in the development of the theater, as they dedicated the GLO to the Ohrstrom family.

The performers swiftly moved onto the stage as they accompanied David Grimes, Wakefield music teacher and director of fine and performing arts, in a revised, Gala-inspired version of “Be Our Guest” from the musical “Beauty and the Beast.”

As the first act continued, the audience was treated to a performance that included many Wakefield alumni, who graciously returned to the school to reprise their roles and sing the numbers they performed in musicals from years past.

Each performer, clearly thrilled to be on this new stage in this fabulous facility for the first time surrounded by an appreciative community, earned frequent thunderous applause.

There were smiles all around as members of the audience recognized the songs and performers and eagerly anticipated each new musical number.

During the intermission, Harper and Carey returned to the stage to thank all the hardworking people who actually built the new venue. Construction took about two years and was completed despite the global pandemic.

During the second act, several talented parents performed songs from musicals they had participated in. They included Toby Reidway reprising her role as Mrs. Potts from “Beauty and the Beast,” and Dave Redabaugh performing once again as the Cowardly Lion from “The Wizard of Oz.”

This year’s upcoming Wakefield student musical, “Grease,” is highly anticipated, and the cast offered a sneak peek. Audience members sang along to the well-known “We Go Together” as the cast hand-jived their way through the song in their poodle skirts and leather jackets.

The final number was “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” a popular selection from Monty Python’s “Spamalot.” By the end of the song, the entire gala cast had taken the stage and was singing and whistling along while inviting the audience to participate.

The gala ended with the entire room, performers and attendees, first joining in song, followed by performers on stage emotionally embracing after the first of what promises to be many more performances in their gorgeous new theater.

Sophia Carey is a Wakefield senior.