HOWELL – The Howell High School’s Drama Club had the honor of winning three awards at the 20th annual Basie Awards.
The Basie Awards, presented by The Count Basie Center for the Arts, recognizes talent amongst Monmouth County high school theatre.
A total of 52 high school productions were evaluated during the school year, with more than 80 nominees collected across various categories. Howell High School received several nominations not only for their musical “Spamalot” but also for their play “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.”
Howell High School achieved wins in three categories all for their production of “Spamalot:”
- Outstanding Mixed Student + Adult Orchestra
- Outstanding Featured Performance In A Male Identified Role (Musical) – Cooper Stahl
- Outstanding Supporting Performance In A Female Identified Role (Musical) – Bandaid Issacs-Rodriguez
“Spamalot” is a musical comedy adapted from the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” It follows King Arthur and his quirky Knights of the Round Table on a ridiculous quest to find the Holy Grail. Along the way, they encounter absurd characters like the Lady of the Lake, the Knights Who Say “Ni!” and a killer rabbit.
“The show parodies Broadway musicals while mixing British humor with slapstick and satire. Ultimately, it celebrates silliness and ends with the characters discovering the grail in a hilariously unexpected way,” said Rachel Roberts, the director of Howell High School’s Drama Club.
The Drama Club works hard to create a spectacular performance in just 10 weeks, beginning in early December with performances scheduled between the end of February and beginning of March.
Cooper Stahl played two separate characters in “Spamalot” that are often played by just one performer. He played “Not-Dead-Fred” in the beginning of the show, and he also plays “Prince Herbert.” Bandaid Issacs-Rodriguez played the only female character, “The Lady of the Lake.”
“This show was no joke, even though it was a comedy! The kids needed to learn the intricacies of British humor, because it is so different from American humor,” Roberts said. “Most of them hadn’t even seen the movie, so we also had a cast viewing. Our process is usually learning music and harmonies, then choreography, and adding in the acting scenes in between. They work very hard for the entire process, spending between four and seven hours at rehearsal every day. We treat it as a professional theatrical rehearsal, and they conduct themselves very maturely because of the expectations we have of them!”
“Year after year, the annual Basie Awards demonstrate that the talent here in Monmouth County is truly second to none,” said Samantha Giustiniani, Vice President, Education and Outreach, Count Basie Center for the Arts. “This year’s high school productions were outstanding, and the crowd that gathered tonight and the administrators, teachers and students themselves who showed up to cheer each other on… it speaks volumes for how meaningful and uniting the performing arts can be for the community.”
