Broadway Stars Shine On African School-building

By Jennifer Pierre

There are certainly a lot of things to appreciate about the town of Ithaca, from its quirky residents to its local shops to the beautiful spring and summer weather starting to settle in for the season. As Cornell students we are lucky enough to live in a town bustling with excitement and activity despite the fact that it’s not a big name city. While there is much to appreciate, there are a few things Ithaca will never have in comparison with the lands of twenty story buildings and constant bright lights like New York City. One of these main differences to me is the absence of Broadway.  Sad as it is, there just isn’t a way to bring the magic of Broadway to Ithaca. Or at least, that’s what I thought until now! This Monday May 9th from 8 to 10:30pm, start off your study week with the incredible experience of watching Broadway right in our beloved Ithaca. Cornell University students Jeremy Flynn and Helene Beauchemin have brought together a number of Broadway stars and students from both Cornell and Ithaca Colllege to perform Elton John and Tim Rice’s rock-musical Aida in Bailey Hall.

The show will be musically directed by Cornell sophomore Jeff Cox, and will feature principals from the hit Broadway shows Wicked and Mama Mia, as well as members of the Ithaca College musical theatre program and performances by various Cornell on-campus dance troupes. It promises to be a night filled with music, dancing, and a room brimming with amazing talent from all over the New York area. As if that wasn’t enough incentive to come, the performance leaders have also collaborated with Cornell University Sustainable design (often referred to as CUSD for short) to donate all of the proceeds to their project of building schools in South Africa! The group is specifically working on building a sustainable pre-school this summer for Ugandan children, a worthy and fitting cause for such a once in a lifetime experience. There will also be an art display preceding the show starting at 4pm on Ho Plaza.

Please don’t miss out on what promises to be one of the greatest performances of the season. For only $15 in advance or $17 at the door, you can experience the excitement of Broadway and musical theatre at a building only 10 minutes away from your dorm, support your favorite on campus dance troupes, and help fund a project that could change the lives a lot of needy Ugandan children. Reserve your ticket at www.bailey.com today!