Eastern Middle School to Perform Aida in the School’s Lee Book Auditorium

The Eastern Middle School 8th Grade Show Chorus will perform the musical “Aida,” the Elton John and Tim Rice musical based on the 19th century Verdi opera of the same name.

Shows run from Thursday, January 16 through Saturday, January 18 in the school’s Lee Book Auditorium.

Show times are as follows: Thursday, January 16th at 4:30pm., Friday, January 17th at 7:30pm., Saturday January 18th at 3pm.

Thursday’s tickets are $10, and Friday and Saturday’s tickets are $20.

Tickets are sold on-line and can be purchased at the school’s website easternmiddleschool.ludus.com.

There are 62 students in the cast, directed by Matthew Tracey and assisted by Producer Jennifer Badillo, with choreography by Scott Sisbarro of St. Saviour’s School of Dance.

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The Musical opens in the Egyptian Wing of a modern museum, and a man and woman touring the exhibit catch each other’s eyes. A statue of the female Pharaoh Amneris (Cate Adorney) comes to life and transports them to ancient Egypt.

There we see Radames (Ben Lawler), captain of the Egyptian Army, and his men returning from an expedition through the land of their long time enemy Nubia.

Radames is captivated by one of the Nubian women captured, Aida (Madeline Phillips).

Radames saves Aida and her companions from certain death in the copper mines by sending them to the palace groundskeeper instead.

He also ensures that Aida serves as a handmaiden to his betrothed, Princess Amneris.

Radames’ father, Chief Minister Zoser (Jacob Winston), greets his son with news that the Pharaoh (Zachary Libow) is dying and that Radames must prepare to become the next leader of Egypt.

Unbeknownst to Radames, his father is secretly poisoning the Pharaoh in order to accelerate Radames’ ascension to the throne.

Radames’ Nubian servant, Mereb (Adam Walker), is a young man who has learned the tricks of survival in Egypt.

While delivering Aida to the princess, Mereb recognizes her as the daughter of the Nubian king underwhom he had served, and Aida commands him to keep her identity a secret.

Aida is taken by Mereb to the Nubian camp, where she reluctantly submits to her people’s pleas to lead them, and when she implores Radames to help the Nubians, he opens his heart by giving his possessions to them and declaring his love for Aida.

Unable to fight her feelings any longer, Aida falls into Radames’ embrace. Their bliss is interrupted by news that Radames’ armies have captured Amonasro (Greg Bound), King of Nubia and also Aida’s father.

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Rallying her people, Aida assures them that Nubia will never die.

Meanwhile, Zoser discovers Radames’ affair with Aida and warns his son that it could cost him the throne, but Radames no longer shares his father’s ambitions. After an emotional bout with his son, Zoser orders his men to find Aida and kill her.

When Egyptian soldiers arrive at the Nubian camp seeking Aida, another Nubian, Nehebka (Ziyi Yan), sacrifices herself so that the princess can live. Radames informs Aida that he is calling off the wedding but Aida knows that this would ruin her father’s planned escape and tells him he must go through with it.

Radames agrees, on the condition that she escapes to freedom on a boat he will provide.

The heartbroken lovers part, but Amneris has overheard their entire conversation and tries to face the fact that her upcoming marriage is a sham.

News of Amonasro’s escape disrupts Amneris’ wedding. Radames learns the truth of Aida’s identity when he arrives at the docks just as she is about to board his boat to escape with her father. In the ensuing chaos, Mereb is mortally wounded by Zoser, and Radames makes possible Amonasro’s escape by cutting the rope tied to the dock, but Aida stays with Radames and a dying Mereb.

Zoser flees, and Radames and Aida are then arrested for treason. At the ensuing trial, Pharaoh announces Zoser’s apprehension and sentences both Aida and Radames to be buried alive. Amneris reprises her role as a future Pharaoh by convincing her father to let the lovers die in the same tomb, an act of mercy for two people she has come to love.

Facing death, Aida looks to Radames for strength. As they are slowly deprived of light and air, Radames swears he will search through a hundred lifetimes to find her again if he has to.

Back in the contemporary museum, the spirit of Amneris reveals that as she became Pharaoh, “the lovers’ deaths gave birth to a reign of peace” between Egypt and Nubia. She watches as the modern man and woman are strangely drawn to each other. They are the reincarnations of Aida and Radames, finding each other in a new beginning.

CAST:
Aida: Madeline Phillips
Amneris: Cate Adorney
Radames: Ben Lawler
Zoser: Jacob Winston
Mereb: Adam Walker
Nehebka: Ziyi Yan
Pharoah: Zachary Libow
Amonasro: Greb Bound

Palace Women: All Girls
Nubians: Full Ensemble

Ministers: Madeline Adornery, Ava Baine, Lulu Bednar, Isabel Borrego, Greg Bound, Rebecca Chin, Ayanna Davenport, Luka Dolgov, Gia Elezaj, Eric Fischer, Mary Kate Frey, Tess Furno, Harrison Goldenberg, Joy Grego, Emma Harvey, Kelly Janssen, Alyce Janssen, Helena Kennedy, Christopher Killeen, Cindy Li, Zachary Libow, Christopher Messis, Emma Peck, Emma Polizzi, Charlotte Reid, Alexander Robles, John Stout, Yuta Takahashi, Lydia Wang, Katy Wouters and Ziyi Yan.

Egyptians/Royalty/Soldiers/Tourists:
Julie Allan, Mehek Anand, Ava Blois, Grace Butler, Chloe Eberwein, Ava Eberwein, Gacie Echevarria, Eleanor Herman, Maya Ito, Katie Janis, Alyssa Johnson, Corinne Kilcullen, Cate Kingsley, Amrutha Nandakumar, Lucy Li, Marina Lombardi, Audrey Long, Gwyneth Mair, Anna Martschenko, Kate McCooe, Caroline McShea, Isabel Ohanissian, Lara Olmstead, Kyle Roy, Lauren Thomas and Libby Zola.