By Amanda Stanley
There is nothing like an exciting night at the theater, a rousing musical ensemble, or a mesmerizing dance performance. The Raleigh suburbs have access to exceptional performances in the fine arts, and not just at DPAC or Martin Marietta. Our area schools are producing shows worthy of acclaim, and you don’t have to drive far, fight traffic, or pay high ticket prices to see them. Holly Springs High School is no exception.
Holly Springs High School, the Golden Hawks, has more than 2,100 students learning, playing, and making memories that will last a lifetime. For many of these students, those memories include performances that were preceded by class time learning, after-school rehearsals, at-home practice, and more. Those performances bring laughter, tears, amazement, pride, and most of all appreciation from the audience.
This spring’s lineup of fine arts performances at HSHS will not disappoint. So, gather your family and friends, and head to the school’s auditorium. It’s showtime!
Holly Springs High School offers dance, theatre, chorus, band, and technical theatre to students as elective courses. Students take these classes during their school day, but their dedication does not end when the bell rings. The number of accolades these students have earned is testimony to their continued practice and commitment to their artform.
The Golden Hawks band director, Michael Biasi, can attest to the hard work of his 116 students. This year, the marching band has won four Class Championships and two Grand Championships. Fourteen students were selected for All-District Band, and many more have received other honors for their talent. The opportunities for distinction aren’t over, as the bands will compete in several competitions over the next few months, including the Varsity Winter Guard’s return trip to Dayton, Ohio, in April for the Winter Guard World Championships where they placed 6th last year.
Community members are welcome to attend the band’s upcoming performances, where they will be treated to “professional performances that showcase the hard work of extremely dedicated and talented students,” said Biasi.
The chorus department, led by director Jennifer Patchett, has much to look forward to, as the entire choir program of 125 students will be performing at Music Performance Adjudication at Meredith College in March and the Intermediate Choir will be competing at Busch Gardens in May. Choir is an elective that students can choose as part of their schedule, but students can also audition for the Intermediate Choir and the Advanced Choir. This advanced choir, named Colla Voce, will be performing at Carnegie Hall on April 5, and at the London International Choral Festival in late December. Under Ms. Patchett’s direction, the choir has earned superior ratings, and the Colla Voce has won many competitions in places like Washington DC, Orlando, and Nashville. You won’t want to miss HSHS chorus’s spring concert in May.
For those of you who can’t help but dance in your seat when the music plays, you may be interested in Holly Spring High School’s dance department. Directed by Jennifer Kirby, more than 100 students study dance each semester. At the end of the semester, students put on a concert featuring what they have learned.
“It’s exciting and entertaining,” said Kirby. “It will make you want to get out of your seat and dance with them.” This spring’s performance will be in late May.
Holly Springs High School’s theatre department is two-fold. Students can take courses in acting taught by James MacFarlane. They can also take courses in technical theatre taught by Katie Ward. Technical theater encompasses all that goes into making a staged production, including scenery, lighting, properties, costuming, and sound. While both programs offer elective courses, students can audition for higher level classes.
Theatre lovers will be delighted to learn that Holly Springs High School’s theatre and technical theatre programs will be producing “Mean Girls the Musical” in April. The musical is a collaborative production each year that includes all disciplines as much as possible.
MacFarlane explains, “This year the pit orchestra is full of students led by Mr. Biasi as conductor, the vocal music is taught by Ms. Patchett as music director, Ms. Kirby is our choreographer, Ms. Ward is our technical director, and I serve as the production’s director. It really is the nexus of performance here at Holly Springs.”
Not every student in a performing arts program desires to become famous. The majority are looking for a place to make like-minded friends, develop their skills, and make memories to last a lifetime. There are some students whose love of the fine arts compels them to make a career out of singing, playing an instrument, dancing, acting, or supporting these vocations. All the Holly Springs High School program directors have taught students who continued their career in the arts after graduation. Many students are sharing their talents through teaching, music therapy, and as band and choral directors. In addition, Broadway, touring groups, music videos, theater crews, and movies have all benefitted from the talent and skills honed at HSHS. No matter where they go after high school, these students are working hard and enjoy sharing their craft. When you have enthusiastic teachers and talented, dedicated students, you can create magic on stage!
We all know that it takes a village, so to keep the students performing, you can donate to their programs through individual booster clubs:
Golden Hawks Theatre Company Boosters: https://ghtc.ludus.com/donate.php
Choir donations: https://hshschorus.weebly.com/patron-membership.html
Dance donations: jkirby@wcpss.net (monetary, costumes, photography, and advertising donations welcome)
Band donations: https://www.goldenhawksband.org/sponsorships
You can learn more about the performing arts programs at Holly Springs High School by visiting https://www.wcpss.net/Page/8508.
2024 Spring Performances by Holly Springs High School Performing Arts
Holly Springs High School, 5329 Cass Holt Road. All performances will be held in the HSHS auditorium.
March 22, 5:00 p.m. Band Friends and Family Indoor Show, free
April 18 – 20, “Mean Girls the Musical”
Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for adults, and can be purchased at ghtc.ludus.com after April 4.
May 3, 6:30 p.m. Band Spring Concert, free
May 10, 4:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Chorus Spring Concert
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at https://hshschorus.weebly.com/spring-concert.html
May 23 & 24, 7:00 p.m. Dance Concert
Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under
June 4, Studio Showcase (Theatre & Technical Theatre)
