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June 5, 2020: Week 12, Volume 5

6/5/2020

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Current Assignment

Students should be working on the Remote Learning Assignment for the week of June 1 (due Monday, 6/8).
​Details can be found in Google Classroom.

End-of-year: all Chorus work for Term 4 will be due on Monday, June 15 (the last new assignment will come out on June 8). Please make sure you are aware of any Term 4 work that hasn't been submitted, and reach out to Ms. Simmonds with any questions!

Updates

Click here for parent information about the current Remote Learning Assignment (sent 6/1/2020).

​Click here for the Nipmuc Virtual Chorus Concert. Click here for the Boston Globe article. Click here for the Town Crier article.

​Click here to see the videos from Senior Music Night.

Weekly Feature: Musicals

Broadway Records

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Several years ago, in honor of the Summer Olympics in Brazil, Playbill released a list of Broadway-themed awards, including: High-note Jump, 100-meter Quick-Change Dash, and Long Distance Run ... of a Show.
Click here to see the full event list and all of the winners!
Interested in learning more? Here are some additional articles/websites that highlight major moments in Broadway's history.
9 Theatre Milestones We're Grateful For
Spotlight on Broadway

Just for Fun: Broadway Slang

Learn the ins-and-outs of musical theater slang with Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Happy Friday!
Please enjoy this picture of my cat, Scout, sleeping in a box (which does not seem comfortable. but to each her own).
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It's hard to believe we're almost to the end of year ... or maybe it's great that we're finally to the end of the year ...

In either case - I'm here one last time (I promise) to ask you for contributions! Send me pictures, stories, song recommendations, whatever, so I can include them during these last 2 weeks of blog posts! Click here to email me.
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June 4, 2020: Week 12, Volume 4

6/4/2020

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Current Assignment

Students should be working on the Remote Learning Assignment for the week of June 1 (due Monday, 6/8).
​Details can be found in Google Classroom.

End-of-year: all Chorus work for Term 4 will be due on Monday, June 15 (the last new assignment will come out on June 8). Please make sure you are aware of any Term 4 work that hasn't been submitted, and reach out to Ms. Simmonds with any questions!

Updates

Click here for parent information about the current Remote Learning Assignment (sent 6/1/2020).

​Click here for the Nipmuc Virtual Chorus Concert. Click here for the Boston Globe article. Click here for the Town Crier article.

​Click here to see the videos from Senior Music Night.
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Weekly Feature: Musicals

Broadway Dance Numbers

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Quoted from this article:
"Acting, singing, dancing! Somehow movement has been demoted to third billing in the triple threat universe of Broadway. Heck, some musicals today don't have any choreography at all. The opposite used to be the norm. The dancing was the thing you came for — the cliché being that tired businessmen wanted a night out to look at leggy girls. And of course, going back a few eons further, you can trace all of theatre back to tribal dance rituals. I don't particularly long for either of those eras, but so much of what defined the Golden Age of Broadway was the integration of music, lyrics and dance into storytelling.
Thankfully, the ever-expanding modern definition of musical theatre has room for all kinds of expression, including some that are very movement-based. Indeed, the 1996 hit Bring In 'Da Noise, Bring In 'Da Funk was most recognizable for its trailblazing choreography, and many newer shows such as Spring Awakening and Movin' Out have continued to broaden the definition of the form. It's safe to say that, regardless of how Broadway dancing evolves (or perhaps, because of how Broadway dancing evolves), it will continue to be a hallmark of musical theatre for the ages."
​
Click here for the full article, including a list of 10 amazing Broadway dance numbers, with video of each.

Recommended Resource:
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The Lincoln Center at Home website (click here) has new content DAILY, including jazz performance, dance workshops, livestream performances, and archive performances. 
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June 3, 2020: Week 12, Volume 3

6/3/2020

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Current Assignment(s)

Students should be working on the Remote Learning Assignment for the week of June 1 (due Monday, 6/8).
​Details can be found in Google Classroom.

End-of-year Update: all Chorus work for Term 4 will be due on Monday, June 15 (the last new assignment will come out on June 8). Please make sure you are aware of any Term 4 work that hasn't been submitted, and reach out to Ms. Simmonds with any questions!

Updates

Click here for parent information about the current Remote Learning Assignment (sent 6/1/2020).

​Click here for the Nipmuc Virtual Chorus Concert. Click here for the Boston Globe article. Click here for the Town Crier article.

​Click here to see the videos from Senior Music Night.

Senior Banners

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Another round of Congratulations goes out to all of our Senior Musicians! And a huge thank you to the Music Boosters for organizing this year's Senior Banners. Due to a generous donation, all seniors will receive a banner this year! The banners were on display at Nipmuc on Monday when seniors arrived for their senior check-out and materials return, and then were delivered to each of the seniors by Mr. Harding and Ms. Simmonds.

Weekly Feature: Musicals

Movie Musicals
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Whether it's stage-to-screen adaptations or made-for-film musicals, there are no shortage of movie musicals out there! Check out this Playbill article, "27 Modern Movie Musicals to Watch While Quarantined," which includes summaries and links for where to find each one.

Recommended Resource:
​Playbill Live Stream Calendar

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Playbill and The Broadway Podcast Network have teamed up to keep a running calendar of theatre live stream events. Click here.
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June 2, 2020: Week 12, Volume 2

6/2/2020

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Current Assignment(s)

Students should be working on the Remote Learning Assignment for the week of June 1 (due Monday, 6/8).
​Details can be found in Google Classroom.

Updates

Click here for parent information about the current Remote Learning Assignment (sent 6/1/2020).

​Click here for the Nipmuc Virtual Chorus Concert. Click here for the Boston Globe article. Click here for the Town Crier article.

​Click here to see the videos from Senior Music Night.

​Weekly Feature: Musicals

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Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (Rodgers and Hammerstein) were a successful musical theatre writing duo in the 1940s and 50s. And their Broadway shows brought in a whopping thirty four Tony Awards. They're known for titles such as Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, The Sound of Music, and Cinderella. Their musicals are still widely performed, and many have been turned into movies.
​Click here to learn more.

You can also check out the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization's youtube channel for performances and movie clips.

Listening Recommendation

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Coincidentally, this week's Boston Pops at Home Listening Playlist is entitled "My Favorite Things: A Richard Rodgers Celebration." Click here to listen.
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June 1, 2020: Week 12, Volume 1

6/1/2020

0 Comments

 

Current Assignment(s)

Students should be working on the Remote Learning Assignment for the week of June 1 (due Monday, 6/8).
​Details can be found in Google Classroom.

Updates

Click here for parent information about the current Remote Learning Assignment (sent 6/1/2020).

​Click here for the Nipmuc Virtual Chorus Concert. Click here for the Boston Globe article. Click here for the Town Crier article.
​
NEW: Click here to see the videos from Senior Music Night.

We made it to JUNE! 
(sometimes it seemed like we'd never get here)

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As it turns out, June 1 was the opening date for 3 famous Broadway Musicals:
"You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" opened on June 1, 1971 at the Golden Theater, "Chicago" opened on June 1, 1975 at the 46th St. Theater, and "Les Miserables" opened on June 1, 1988 at the Schubert Theater Los Angeles. It therefore seems appropriate that we feature musicals this week!

Weekly Feature: Musicals

Watch a clip from the 1999 Tony Awards, featuring a performance from the revival cast of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and the award for "Best Featured Actress in a Musical."
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20 Benchmark Musicals in Broadway History 
by Mark A. Robinson

"What is it about Broadway musicals that we love so much? What keeps us coming back for more? What entices us to get lost in a world of song, dance, escapism, and heightened emotion? So many musicals have resonated with audiences in the roughly 150 years since the Broadway musical became one of New York City’s most popular forms of entertainment. Let’s take a look at the Broadway musical throughout history and examine 20 of the benchmark titles that have evolved the form, impacted audiences, and demonstrated that extra something special."

Click here for the full article, which contains information and clips from 20 important Broadway Musicals.
​Interested in learning more? Click here for an article with a more extensive history of Broadway's early days.

Recommended Resource:
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - Free Online Learning

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The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website has a ton of resources you can access for free - click here.
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    Ms. Simmonds and Scout the Kitteh (whose hobbies include: napping on your face and crawling across your lap at inconvenient times - like while I'm recording video posts :)

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