FINAL CURTAIN
By Peter Harrison
Backstage at his final performance for South Gate Stage, director Howard Dando appears to be in several places simultaneously, discussing a sound cue with the stage manager, helping an actor with a line, and checking with the conductor about tempo.
In a career that has seen him produce and direct Broadway productions, including the Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Who’s Tommy and, and Director of the major ballet company, Stars of the American Ballet that received critical acclaim from the New York Times and every major newspaper in the nation, tonight finds Dando directing a production of his original musical FEVER not on Broadway but at the West Coast equivalent Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood.
At first glance, it seems paradoxical: Why would an urbane, East Coast-trained artist, a veteran of the New York stage, choose to direct the Drama department of a working class inner-city high school? “To make a difference! If we’re not making a difference, why are we on this Earth?” said Dando.
The challenges that South Gate presented were formidable with an enrollment of over five thousand students in a school built for twelve hundred. Principal Tony Sandoval asked Dando to take on the Drama program but Dando was reluctant, "I knew the hours would be unlimited, but Mr. Sandoval twisted my arm, and he changed my life for the better."
The theater built in 1929, was in disrepair, no air conditioning, an ancient light board, no sound system, no supplies, not even a hammer or a nail. There was no room in the wings because the wings were used for school lockers. Dando corralled major funding to equip the school with professional sets and costumes, a new state of the art lighting board, a new sound system, wireless microphones, and more.
Bye Bye Birdie was selected as the first production. “I told students to be prepared to work three hours a day, five days a week and even weekends." said Dando, “Within a couple weeks a third of the cast bailed out. For the cast that remained I emphasized my ‘Three D’s’ – Dedication, Discipline and Devotion,' and that group became the foundation for a tradition of excellence”
Birdie played to an audience of two thousand. Prior to that a typical production yielded an audience of only a hundred. Years later, Joseph and the Amazing Dreamcoat was to play to an audience of almost 4000. Principal Anthony Sandoval noted the revamped Drama department, "Mr. Dando came in with just a couple production assistants and created an amazing theater program."
'Amazing' was the word that was heard after every performance. The students won trophies at the annual DTASC Competitions against schools from San Diego to Santa Barbara; and performed at professional theatres, “I wanted my students to rub shoulders with professionals so we developed partnerships with major LA Theatre companies including Reprise Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse, Ricardo Montalban Theatre, East LA College, The Actors Gang, the Skirball Center, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Festival of New American Musicals, The London Globe, Pasadena Playhouse, A Noise Within, Los Angeles Music Center, and more.” said Dando.
Dando was nominated for a Bravo Award by the Los Angeles Music Center for Outstanding Arts Teacher and received certificates from City Council. But he insists, “I’m just the coach, it’s the students who make it happen. They deserve the awards. Working with the kids is my reward. They inspire me with their passion for theatre. Every rehearsal was great fun, and we laughed every day. That can’t be duplicated in the commercial theater,” said Dando.
It was fun for the audiences as well. A Middle School group was reluctant to attend FEVER because they heard is was based on a Shakespeare play. After the performance the students asked their teacher if they could all go again the next night. After a matinee a family sought out the director to tell him that they were at the previous performance and their daughter wanted to see the show again, but it meant cancelling her birthday party. “It was worth it," the young girl said, “FEVER was more fun than any birthday party.”
A letter arrived from the Theatre Advisor for the District. It read, “A level of artistic excellence above and beyond the norm in our district. I drove home elated and inspired.” Dando shared the letter with his students, “It means you made a difference.”
By Peter Harrison
Backstage at his final performance for South Gate Stage, director Howard Dando appears to be in several places simultaneously, discussing a sound cue with the stage manager, helping an actor with a line, and checking with the conductor about tempo.
In a career that has seen him produce and direct Broadway productions, including the Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Who’s Tommy and, and Director of the major ballet company, Stars of the American Ballet that received critical acclaim from the New York Times and every major newspaper in the nation, tonight finds Dando directing a production of his original musical FEVER not on Broadway but at the West Coast equivalent Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood.
At first glance, it seems paradoxical: Why would an urbane, East Coast-trained artist, a veteran of the New York stage, choose to direct the Drama department of a working class inner-city high school? “To make a difference! If we’re not making a difference, why are we on this Earth?” said Dando.
The challenges that South Gate presented were formidable with an enrollment of over five thousand students in a school built for twelve hundred. Principal Tony Sandoval asked Dando to take on the Drama program but Dando was reluctant, "I knew the hours would be unlimited, but Mr. Sandoval twisted my arm, and he changed my life for the better."
The theater built in 1929, was in disrepair, no air conditioning, an ancient light board, no sound system, no supplies, not even a hammer or a nail. There was no room in the wings because the wings were used for school lockers. Dando corralled major funding to equip the school with professional sets and costumes, a new state of the art lighting board, a new sound system, wireless microphones, and more.
Bye Bye Birdie was selected as the first production. “I told students to be prepared to work three hours a day, five days a week and even weekends." said Dando, “Within a couple weeks a third of the cast bailed out. For the cast that remained I emphasized my ‘Three D’s’ – Dedication, Discipline and Devotion,' and that group became the foundation for a tradition of excellence”
Birdie played to an audience of two thousand. Prior to that a typical production yielded an audience of only a hundred. Years later, Joseph and the Amazing Dreamcoat was to play to an audience of almost 4000. Principal Anthony Sandoval noted the revamped Drama department, "Mr. Dando came in with just a couple production assistants and created an amazing theater program."
'Amazing' was the word that was heard after every performance. The students won trophies at the annual DTASC Competitions against schools from San Diego to Santa Barbara; and performed at professional theatres, “I wanted my students to rub shoulders with professionals so we developed partnerships with major LA Theatre companies including Reprise Theatre Company, Geffen Playhouse, Ricardo Montalban Theatre, East LA College, The Actors Gang, the Skirball Center, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Festival of New American Musicals, The London Globe, Pasadena Playhouse, A Noise Within, Los Angeles Music Center, and more.” said Dando.
Dando was nominated for a Bravo Award by the Los Angeles Music Center for Outstanding Arts Teacher and received certificates from City Council. But he insists, “I’m just the coach, it’s the students who make it happen. They deserve the awards. Working with the kids is my reward. They inspire me with their passion for theatre. Every rehearsal was great fun, and we laughed every day. That can’t be duplicated in the commercial theater,” said Dando.
It was fun for the audiences as well. A Middle School group was reluctant to attend FEVER because they heard is was based on a Shakespeare play. After the performance the students asked their teacher if they could all go again the next night. After a matinee a family sought out the director to tell him that they were at the previous performance and their daughter wanted to see the show again, but it meant cancelling her birthday party. “It was worth it," the young girl said, “FEVER was more fun than any birthday party.”
A letter arrived from the Theatre Advisor for the District. It read, “A level of artistic excellence above and beyond the norm in our district. I drove home elated and inspired.” Dando shared the letter with his students, “It means you made a difference.”
More information on FEVER at: http://www.dancetheatre.blogspot.com/
