East Orange Choir
Students Take a Trip To Bountiful
by Frederick Goode
Photo by Frederick Goode
10/09/13 - The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing
and Fine Arts choir students and staff took a Trip to Bountiful at the Stephen
Sondheim Theatre in New York City to see the final production of
the Broadway revival of the Horton Foote play, starring their school
matriarch, Ms Cicely L. Tyson. Ms Tyson recently won a Tony Award
for Best Actress in a Play for the 2013 Broadway production,
which had earned a total of 4 Tony Award nominations.
Photo by Frederick Goode
After viewing the play, the students suprised
Ms. Tyson at curtain call with a serenade of musical selections
presented by The Cicely Tyson Choir under the direction of Ms.
Norma Hughes and Ms. Jean James. The heartfelt song moved the
audience to tears as Ms. Tyson received a standing ovation for
her outstandng performance. The student surprise had been
arranged by theatre director Michael Wilson, Ms Tyson's
publicist, Carl Foote, and Marilyn Kelly. There to represent the
entire community school, the school district and the city of East
Orange in the celebration of this milestone with Ms. Tyson was
the entire newly appointed Cicely L. Tyson schools administrative
team, principal Ms. Anita Champane, assistant principals Ms.
Melissa Espaņa-Rodriguez and Mr. Elvin Williamson.
Photo by Frederick Goode
To continue the celebration, the administrative
team took the choir back stage where they met privately with Ms.
Tyson, who always manages to take time to encourage and inspire
the youth that attend her namesake school. Students met back
stage with countless celeberaties and dignitaries who were
delighted to pose with them for photos opportunities.
Photo by Frederick Goode
Ms Tyson was happy to talk with them and even
shared some hair tips and make-up advice with the students.
Photo by Frederick Goode
They all posed for a group photo in the crowded dressing room
before they left. The school looks forward to celebrating Ms.
Tysons birthday every year. For this year's 80th birthday
celebration there is a lot more to celebrate. This 2013
production of Bountiful marked Cicely Tyson's first
Broadway appearance since 1983, for which, to her many
other awards over the years, she added a Tony Award for Best
Actress in a Play, the Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle
Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play, and a nomination for the
Drama League Distinguished Performance Award.