For Gigi R. ’27, entering the world of the opera was a quick, but natural leap. In early April, Gigi, at the recommendation of her voice teacher, auditioned for the Loudoun Lyric Opera Company’s production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, The Magic Flute. After a whirlwind three weeks of rehearsals, Gigi sang the role of Spirit One for two performance weekends in May.
Last year I visited Oakcrest school in Vienna, Virginia to chat with members of a high school class that had upset a major election. Music teacher Alix Baldwin led her class in a musical putsch that dethroned Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 as the perennial winner of WETA Classical’s annual Classical Countdown, awarding first place to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
Oakcrest Upper School students brought the famous Peanuts comic strip to life in the musical theatre production You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown performed November 3 and 4, 2023 at Ernst Theatre in Annandale. With more than 60 students participating on the stage and behind the scenes to two full-house audiences, the show was an overwhelming success once again.
Oakcrest Harp Circle was selected to perform at the Virginia Music Educators Association conference this coming November in Richmond, Virginia. Ten members of the Harp Circle will play in a concert in the lobby across from Exhibit Hall.
Lorali O. ‘25 came in second place at the English-Speaking Union (ESU) Washington, D.C. branch’s Shakespeare Monologue Competition with her performances of Lady Macbeth from Macbeth and “Sonnet 106”. The local Washington, D.C. branch competition was held at Madeira School on February 28, bringing together students representing 10 area schools.
After auditioning in November, 11 Oakcrest students were selected to participate in District Chorus at Herndon High School on February 10. They were chosen from a large pool of performers from District XII which includes students from areas of local Fairfax and Arlington counties.
Lucy R. ’24 was recognized by the Scottish Harp Society of America for her composition entry in the group’s 40th anniversary tune writing competition. Her piece, Equinox, placed first among many entries from around the world.
Oakcrest School had a major impact on the WETA Classical Countdown this year. The local radio station hosts their annual Classical Countdown on Thanksgiving day. The Countdown includes the top 100 classical music pieces of listeners in the Washington, D.C. area. In early November, listeners vote on their favorite classical piece and the top 100 are played during Thanksgiving week. On Thanksgiving night at 8:00 pm, the top-voted piece is crowned victorious and is played.
The Oakcrest Upper School theatre production of The Sound of Music performed the show to two sold-out audiences in early November. The beloved classic musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein was enjoyed by all in attendance, and the months of hard work by the cast, crew, and faculty brought the musical classic to life.
Lucy Ruse ’24 was recently recognized by the Scottish Harp Society of America for her composition entry in the group’s 40th anniversary tune writing competition. Her piece, Equinox, placed first among many entries and will now be published.
Oakcrest School is pleased to announce its Middle School Theatre production of the Disney musical, Newsies, Jr. The show is inspired by the true story of newsboys in New York City at the turn of the century when newsboys went on strike against publishers raising the distribution prices of newspapers. With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, the show is sure to be a hit for the family.
Oakcrest is pleased to announce the Upper School Fall Theatre Production, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. The musical is based on the story of the Von Trapp Family in Austria in the wake of World War II. Performances will take place on November 4 and November 5 at 7:00 pm at Richard J. Ernst Theater in Annandale.
Sophomore Addison Duncan ‘24 will spend her summer working with Juilliard faculty in both drama and musical theater programs through “Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard,” in Orlando, Florida at Windermere Preparatory School. She was accepted to each of the programs after submitting applications and audition portfolios.
The play: Claire Whittman, a Virginia playwright who wrote The Female Quixote, performed by Oakcrest in November of 2020 has written a play for Oakcrest for an all-female cast.
In its initiative to incorporate the work of local artists to promote an appreciation for the role of wonder and delight in beauty, Oakcrest School commissioned local Virginia painter Sue Braswell to produce a painting of “The Morning Ferry” for the office of the Head of School, Dr. Mary T. Ortiz. The oil painting depicts a ferry taking people to Monhegan Island off the coast of Maine in the morning hours.
With Oakcrest’s production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins only a couple weeks away, it’s easy to imagine the hours of singing, dancing, and acting rehearsals needed to prepare for this beloved musical. What might not be as obvious is the incredible amount of work that goes into the ambitious technical side of the show.
Oakcrest is pleased to announce this year’s Upper School show, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, a musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film. Performances will take place on February 18 and 19 at the Ernst Community Theater in Annandale, Virginia.
Middle School students will perform Dear Edwina Jr. this fall. The musical, directed by theatre teacher Dr. Kristin O’Malley, will be performed on November 5 and 6 at the Ernst Community Theater in Annandale, Virginia.