Syttende Mai Parade is Tomorrow - May 17

Come out and cheer on some of our Ballard Performing Arts groups at this annual parade and community celebration that celebrates Norwegian Constitution Day and Ballard’s Nordic heritage. The Chamber Choir will perform at Bergen Place Park at 4:30 pm and the Marching Band will march in the parade, which begins at 6 pm. Hip, hip, hurrah!

Note: All Band members must turn in their marching band uniforms the evening of Syttende Mai–it’s the last time they’ll be worn! 

Get Your Tickets! Student Directed One Act Plays are May 18-20

The Ballard High School Playmakers are pleased to bring back the tradition of the One Act Play Festival, showing May 18, 19, and 20 at 7:30 pm at the Ballard High School Earl Kelly Center for the Performing Arts. See five one act plays in one performance, each directed by one of our talented student directors! The series takes a look at reality, but with a twist. Each of the plays are about what happens when reality is called into question.

Senior Elliot Jakupcak directs Sure Thing by David Ives, a comedy that follows two strangers in a coffee shop who navigate a conversation with something no one else gets: the chance to start over when you say the wrong thing.

Senior Ella Papineau directs The Yellow Wallpaper by Cameron Colwell and Georgia Drinan. Based on the chilling short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, this play follows a new mother confined to her bed as she tries to make sense of the figure she keeps seeing in the pattern on her bedroom walls.

Senior Autumn Bailey directs The Support Group from Hell by Jeffrey Harr, a dark comedy that follows a teen who joins a support group with members that are far more strange (and possibly supernatural) than she was expecting.

Junior Izzy Rampersad and senior Milo Palmer co-direct The Hallmarks of Horror by Peter Bloedel. In this “whirlwind tour of horror tropes,” as the playwright describes, scientists attempt to explain what makes scary movies as scary as possible. The resulting demonstration is much more ridiculous than intended.

For the finale, we’re treated to a new play, Up, All the Way Up?,  written and directed by our own Rose Champion, a Ballard High School junior. This play follows a woman in the late 19th century as she writes the obituary for the peculiar and mysterious death of a millionaire on a mountain.

Get Your Tickets here!

$20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, and $10 for students and BHS staff

Total performance time of the One Act Play Festival is 2 ½ hours, including a 15 minute intermission.

If you're able please, sign up to help with ticket sales and a bake sale in the lobby. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F4DADAD29A3FD0-oneact

Congratulations, Seniors - Read All About Them!

Seniors - it’s your time to shine. You emerged from the pandemic with grace, you continued to play, sing, act, and dance through it all —and you’re almost ready for your next steps. Let us celebrate YOU! 

This week’s featured seniors:

Hadley Anderson

Emmett Stevens

James Servey

Seren Rodriguez

Milo Palmer

Onyx Cheyne

Ella Papineau

Read all about them here.

SENIORS! Please fill out this quick form and submit a photo so we can honor you in the newsletter and on our social channels via our Senior Spotlight series. Look for the QR Codes in the music and theater classrooms!

Spring Concerts - Seat Reservations Available

The Spring concerts are coming up soon! While all concerts are free to attend, you can make an optional donation of $25 to BPA by reserving a seat for these well-attended, final concerts of the year. Reserve seats now on www.showtix4U.com!

Royal Room Performances June 13

Don’t miss the end of year Jazz Concert at Royal Room - Vocal Jazz, Jazz Lab Band, Big Band, and Fiddlers. This is the only jazz concert. It’s a small venue and we want to make sure there is enough room for all families to see the performances, so be ready for elbow to elbow fun.

The following groups will perform:

• Fiddlers
• Vocal Jazz
• Lab Band
• Big Band

Save the Dates for Music Camps!

At the beginning of each year, all students in band, orchestra, and select members of choir go away for the weekend to learn songs, marching steps, bond, and have fun to set the foundation for a terrific year ahead. Save the dates and look for camp payment and detail information.

Upcoming Camps for 2023-2024:

• Band Camp - Sept 8-10
• Orch Camp - Sept 15-17
• Choir Camp - Sept. 29-Oct 1

Band

We're nearing the end of what's been a wonderfully busy year, but we haven't crossed the finish line yet. This week is the Syttende Mai parade and next week will be the North High Schools Band Festival. CHAPERONES ARE NEEDED MAY 23 - we need 8 more adults to accompany us next week with the bands. All chaperones must have completed SPS volunteer paperwork. Please head to the Sign up Genius to snag your spot.

Syttende Mai Parade

Call time is 3:45pm. Students are to be dressed to go by 4 pm (wear long black socks and band tshirts). We will then walk with our instruments to the staging ground near Adams elementary. (Steve will drive over the largest of the instruments - quads, bass drums). The parade will take off at 6 pm - don't be late for viewing - we're number 3! Following the parade, students will be walking back to the school and returning their marching band uniforms. We are still looking for a few chaperones and now have a sign up to donate cases of water.

Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are still needed for upcoming band events. Please consider assisting with one of these events.

May 17 - Uniform room (3:30-4 pm) 2 volunteers needed

May 17 - Syttende Mai parade (3:45-8 pm) 3 MORE volunteers needed

May 23 - Northwest Band Fest (8-3:45 pm) 6 MORE volunteers needed

Head over to the Sign up Genius to pick your slot.



Upcoming Band Performances

May 17 – Marching Band at Syttende Mai Parade (call time 3:45 pm).

May 23 – North High School band festival at Lincoln (all three bands and percussionists).

May 26 – Brass Band Plays at Reubens 5:30-6:30 pm.

June 2-4 – Brass Band at Honkfest. Time TBD (Friday or Saturday or both).

June 4 – Joint concert with Wind Ensemble North Seattle College at 3 pm.

June 7 – Symphonic Band performance with Whitman.

June 8 – Final Spring Band Concert.

June 9 – Ballard FC game: Vocal Jazz National Anthem; Drumline Halftime Show; Brass Band after the game.

June 13 – Final Jazz concert at the Royal Room, 5:30 pm load in, 6:30 pm downbeat.

Save the Dates for Band Camp!

Band camp this year is Sept 8-10. This will be a full weekend away for all band students to bond and learn how to march! More details soon.

Choir

 A Message from Choir Rep Jamie Papineau

As the year winds to a close, I want to encourage those of you who will continue on with your student in the performing arts programs next year to get involved! As the parent of a senior, I can tell you I wish I had done so sooner! It’s a fantastic way to get to know other parents, as well as your child’s friends! We are incredibly lucky at Ballard to not only have a top-notch performing arts program, but opportunities accessible to ALL students. The Performing Arts Boosters are a huge reason for this success. Whether your role is large or small, please consider how your talents can add to this program. Check out this link to see current openings, or email with any questions you may have bpachoirrep@gmail.com.

Upcoming Dates

Wednesday, May 17th

Chamber Choir performs at Bergen Place Park at 4:30 pm for Syttende Mai.

Tuesday, May 30

OSPI Superintendent’s 50th Anniversary Art Show

During school day

Benaroya Hall

Vocal Jazz performance

This performance is open to the public, but you need to reserve free tickets here https://cart.seattlesymphony.org/25498/25499

Thursday, June 1

Spring Choir Concert @ BHS, 7:30 pm

All choirs to perform and awards night

Alumni are invited to sing the traditional closer, Deep Peace, with the choirs.

Monday, June 5

Vocal Jazz Solo Night, 7:00 pm

In the BHS black box, all are welcome!

Tuesday, June 13

Vocal Jazz Concert at Royal Room

Thursday, June 22 

Incoming 9th Grade Performing Arts Night, 7:00 pm

Orchestra

Upcoming Events

June 6: Orchestra Concert at 7:30 pm

June 13: Fiddlers perform at Royal Room with Jazz

Orchestra Awarded Windermere Foundation Grant

The Ballard Orchestra program was awarded a $2000 grant from Windermere Foundation to help upgrade and repair the instruments! Thank you, Windermere, and Heather King for putting the video together.

Save the Dates for Orchestra Camp!

Orchestra Camp will be Sept 15-17. More details coming soon!

Theatre

For questions about Theatre Arts classes that meet during the school day, email Mr. Riley’s theater substitute, Ms. Indira Rampersad at igrampersad@seattleschools.org.

One Act Play Festival 

May 18, 19, & 20 - 7:30 pm

Six student directors have selected five plays to bring to the Ballard stage, all of which explore what it’s like when reality itself comes into question. Read more about it here.

Tickets are available for purchase on Showtix4u: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/74036 

If you are able, please sign up here to help with ticket sales and a bake sale in the lobby: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F4DADAD29A3FD0-oneact

The district only pays for teachers’ salaries; everything else we have to raise or donate.

BPAB Board Invites You to Join Our Team!

Updated list! Thanks to a few volunteers who have stepped up, some positions have been spoken for and new ones have opened up. Please check out the list below to see how you can help out. Some roles are short-term, some can be done completely over email (no meetings involved), some are year-long jobs with monthly meetings ensuring you will make new friends and feel part of an amazing team of other parents (without embarrassing your teenager)! Training provided, no experience necessary! 

Open Positions: 

• Fundraising Chair
• VP Communications
• Social Media Lead
• Dine Out Coordinator
• Sponsorship Coordinator
• Co-Chair Fall Direct Drive/Brewery Event
• Spring Mattress Sale Coordinator
• Co-Editor Newsletter
• Graphic Designer (event posters/graphics)
• Uniforms Lead Coordinator
• Visual Media Lead (archive our photos)

Want more information? Read about these volunteer opportunities on our website!

Interested? Email bpabvolunteers@gmail.com with any questions.

Volunteer at Spring Concerts 

Spring concerts are coming up! Please sign up to support the bake sale and/or to help collect uniforms from our seniors and other musicians not performing at graduation after each concert.

6/1 - Choir Concert: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084fa9a92caaf85-bake6#/ 

6/6 - Orchestra Concert: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084fa9a92caaf85-bake4#/ 

6/8 - Band Concert: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084fa9a92caaf85-bake5#/ 

Seniors: Fill out Your Senior Spotlight Form!

Seniors–it’s your time in the spotlight to be recognized for all the work you’ve done over the last four years. Fill out this brief questionnaire and submit a favorite photo from your time in band, choir, orchestra, or theatre.

Check out the video of the CWU Jazz Festival Performances from May 6. Wow, amazing job everyone!

Check out past performances any time on our YouTube and Vimeo channels.