Wouldn’t it be lovely, as Eliza Doolittle asks, to see My Fair Lady at York Catholic High School? The cast and crew of the musical will display their talents on February 27, 28 and March 1. Months of memorizing, choreographing and rehearsing have come to fruition under the direction of Curtis Nelson.
Nelson worked for 34 years as a college music professor. At the conclusion of his career, moving back to Pennsylvania to be close to grandchildren seemed the obvious and perfect choice to begin the next chapter of his life. However, it only took two years before he felt the stirring of boredom. By happenstance, word reached him that York Catholic needed a director for theater productions. Nelson visited the school and, three years ago, he was hired.
My Fair Lady is the third production in Nelson’s tenure at York Catholic. He began with the high school favorite Footloose, followed by a more fanciful production of James and the Giant Peach and this year decided on a “traditional war horse” — a demanding classic of the American musical theater. He sees My Fair Lady’s plot as unexpectedly rich with meaning for a Catholic school. “There’s almost a resurrection theme,” he observed, “where something that was not considered well or acceptable or something to be proud of is transformed into this beautiful lady — and in a sense, isn’t that what salvation is?”
“This is not just a performance,” Nelson said during dress rehearsal this week. Being a part of the production is “a life classroom where performers are students and students are performers, and they learn something about themselves — something about their capabilities, and something about how to work better with other people.” Nelson deliberately chooses good musicals that spotlight Catholic teaching. He is not “overt in sitting down and having a Bible study in the middle of rehearsal, but there are times when there are teaching opportunities.” He remembers the impact of his teachers and professors, so he will not just be working as the director but laying foundations to help guide the students well beyond their time in high school just as his former teachers guided him.
The lead actors in My Fair Lady have experienced the benefits of Nelson’s tutelage.
Senior Grace Oakhem, in her final “hurrah” at York Catholic High School, plays Eliza Doolittle. Grace has been performing since the age of eight and “loves doing theater.” When the role of Eliza was offered, Grace knew she wanted to play the part. Eliza Doolittle and Grace Oakhem share big personalities, so getting into character has been a natural process; however, Grace said, “I watched a lot of YouTube videos” to overcome the challenge of perfecting the Cockney accent.
Just as Eliza experiences a transformation, Grace has “become a whole different person from the start of being at York Catholic to now.” Performing in every production from freshman year to senior year has deepened Grace’s love of music, so much so that she has decided to major in music education when she begins her studies at Grove City College in the fall.
Grace’s love of music has grown and so has her gratitude for everyone involved in the production of My Fair Lady. “You know, for Mr. Nelson, for my cast, crew, pit; they’re all fantastic,” Grace said. She is especially grateful to her parents. Grace commented, “My parents have been so incredibly supportive.” Not only has Grace’s family been supportive, but she has become “thick as thieves” with her fellow cast members, including Ben Witmer.
Playing the role of Professor Henry Higgins, Benjamin Witmer is a senior who never intended to be the leading man. He first got into theater through Nelson, auditioning for a minor role in Footloose only to have the director challenge him to reach for something bigger. “He said, just trust me, and I think I can find a good place for you,” Ben recalled. “So, I’ve kind of just always followed his judgment and his guidance.”
The songs have been a different kind of challenge — Higgins’s music was originally written for Rex Harrison, who was not a trained singer, meaning the style sits somewhere between spoken word and melody. For Witmer, who has won the school talent show three years running, that has meant learning to channel his voice into something looser and more conversational while still finding moments to expand. “There are a few different moments where it gets to a crescendo, and I kind of get to really belt it out a little,” Witmer said. It has been, he added, a fun challenge — the kind that stretches you.
The next challenge for Ben will be choosing which university to attend. York College of Pennsylvania has accepted Ben’s application, and he is awaiting acceptance to Notre Dame. Whichever school he attends, he will surely make wonderful use of the Catholic education York Catholic High School provided.
Since hiring Curtis Nelson, York Catholic High School has provided the opportunity for students to learn from his expertise. Nelson has said that his own teachers “were willing to pour themselves into me — their knowledge, their passion, their insight — and make me a better student, a better performer,” and that is exactly what he intends to do. “That’s what I want to do for these students.” Nelson can rest assured that he has accomplished his goal. My Fair Lady opens this weekend, with shows February 27 and 28 at 7 p.m., and March 1 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the door; $12 for adults, $10 for students ages 5-18.
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Laura Loose
