About Once In a Lifetime

It’s winter of 1928 and the biggest news in entertainment is the whopping success of Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer, the first all-talking picture. A down-at-heels vaudeville troupe — the ascerbic May Daniels, the fast-talking Jerry Hyland, and their slightly dopey cohort, George Lewis — decide to make their fortune by going Hollywood. The only problem is: they don’t know what they’re going to do out there. That’s all right: no one knows anything in Hollywood either. The trio pretends to be a team of skilled vocal coaches and, with the help of Lotusland’s greatest gossip columnist, Helen Hobart, they find themselves working for Herman Glogauer, the volatile producer behind Glogauer Pictures. Glogauer makes George the head of production, and George obliges him by making the worst picture ever made.  Yet, even this comedic satire has a Hollywood ending: George makes the studio a success despite himself and finds the girl of his dreams, while May and Jerry fall into each other’s arms. Fade-out: The End.

 

Once in a Lifetime is the first collaboration between the famous American playwrighting team George Kaufman and Moss Hart.  They would go on to write classic American plays such as You Can't Take It With You and The Man Who Came to Dinner. The pair are titans of the American theatre.Once in a Lifetime opened at the Music Box Theatre on September 24, 1930 and ran for 305 performances. It was produced by Sam H. Harris.

Burrell High School Theatre Company

Burrell High School Drama Club prides itself on its entirely student run productions.  Students construct the set, fill all cast roles, tech and cue the show and run all consoles.  The club stages two main stage productions a year.  A play in the fall and a musical in the spring.  The group is overseen by director and supervisor Martin Connolly.  This year's officers are President and senior Technical Director Samantha Bibza, Vice President and senior deck stage manager Sydney Sanchez, Secretary and junior production stage manager Emily Roos, and Sophomore Treasurer Katie Pahlman.

Burrell High School Drama Club has an inclusive philosphy that means any student at BHS can find a place within the production.  However, we pride ourselves on our ability to prepare those who want to move on to make careers of theatre to enter college and university programs that will make those aspirations possible.  You can currently find Burrell High School Drama Club alums in both MFA and BFA design and technical programs studying their craft, as well as actors training to pursue dreams on stage at the University level.

The adult creative team includes Director Martin Connolly, Choreographer and Properties Supervisor Mallory Codita, Co-Music Directors Michael Pagnotta and Kala Williams, and Costume Designer Nancy Albinini

 

 

Previous Productions:

The Drowsy Chaperone - Spring 2022

\Artist Retreat (World Premiere) - Fall 2021

Little Women - Spring 2021

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Fall 2020

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - Spring 2020

Macebeth - Fall 2019

The Mystery of Edwin Drood - Spring 2019

The Heart of Robin Hood - Fall 2018

Once Upon A Mattress - Spring 2018

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - Fall 2017

Little Shop of Horrors-Spring 2017

Mr. Burns  - Fall 2016

Chicago - Spring 2016

A Midsummer Night's Dream  - Fall 2015

Annie Get Your Gun -Spring 2015

Murder By Poe - Fall 2014

Grease - Spring 2014

Shipwrecked - Fall  2013

Wonderful Town - Spring 2013

As You Like It - Fall 2012

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - Spring 2012

Alice In Wonderland - Fall 2011

Pippin - Spring 2011

Sherlock Holmes - Fall 2010

Kiss Me, Kate - Spring 2010

The Crucible - Fall 2009

The Pajama Game - Spring 2009

The Revenge of the Space Pandas/The Dragon Who Giggled - Fall 2008

The Wizard of Oz - Spring 2008

Tiger at the Gates - Fall 2007

Pal Joey - Spring 2007

The Last Night of Ballyhoo - Fall 2006

Carnival! - Spring 2006

Alice Sit-by-the-Fire - Fall 2005