Fairview High School is the second of five schools nominated for Outstanding Musical we will be featuring here in the DCPA NewsCenter in the days leading up to the May 26 Bobby G Awards at the Buell Theatre.

FAIRVIEW HIGH SCHOOL

Guys & Dolls
1515 Greenbriar Blvd, Boulder Co 80305 MAP IT
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The Fairview High School Drama program is run by Lanny Boyer and Janice Vlachos and includes music and film. “Because we integrate and work across contents so well, our numbers are extraordinary,” said Fairview’s Kely Fano. “It isn’t uncommon for more than 300 students to be involved in our productions from start to finish. Boyer has been at Fairview for four years. He was previously an actor and a musician in the Denver metro area before returning to school for his teaching degree. Vlachos is a Fairview High School graduate, and has been working there for 11 years.

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• Tell us a little about your school’s theatre tradition and history: As with any public schools, our program ebbs and flows over time. However, the one aspect that has remained consistent is the quality of our shows. Fairview has produced award-winning shows for more than 40 years. Graduates we are proud to call our own include Joan Van Ark, Jill Goodacre, Sheryl Lee and Sheree J. Wilson.
• Your program goals: While the quality of the finished product is always on our mind, we concentrate on creating a worthwhile and fun experience from start to finish. We are extremely committed to student-run productions. For example, this month we produced our POPS concert (a talent show of sorts) and the set, lighting and sound were fully designed and run by students.
• What kind of general support do you get? Our administration and our school community is wildly supportive of our productions – at least in spirit. We come close to selling out most of our shows. Our teachers, students and parents are enthusiastic and complimentary. For that, we are grateful. Unfortunately, we receive very little funding from our school district. Less than 5 percent of our fine-arts program’s budget needs are met by the district. Although we have become very good at fundraising, we would prefer to spend our time and efforts on learning, rehearsing and performing.
• What would you say to a younger student at your school who might be nervous or unsure about participating in the performing arts? We are constantly drawing new students to our program. We have an excellent buddy system in which we pair older students with freshmen. We encourage participation in many avenues, be it stage crew, set construction, lighting design, performing, choreography, filming and more. Students at all four grade levels are encouraged to participate and are often cast in our productions.
• What does it mean to your school for your show to be nominated for Outstanding Musical by the Bobby G Awards? In a world where the arts are constantly struggling to survive, it is wonderful to be recognized for our hard work. The Bobby G Awards nominations give us the validation we need to show the world  what we are doing is good and valuable. This is as exciting for us as a state championship would be for one of our athletic teams.
• What does this whole experience tell you about the value of arts education and extracurricular activities at your school? We feel very fortunate to have such a thriving fine arts program based on both tradition and innovation. Because of our district’s open-enrollment process, we attract aspiring musicians and actors from throughout the area. Our program is, no doubt, valued in the community. Now, if we could just get the equivalent financial support from our district, just imagine what we could do!

​More Colorado theatre coverage on the DCPA NewsCenter

Fairview High School’s Brandon Warren, left, and Jacob Sadow are both nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor.

Fairview High School’s 2016 Bobby G Award nominations

• Overall Production of a Musical
• Direction: Lanny Boyer and Janice Vlachos
• Actress in a Leading Role: Sienna Sewell, Sarah Brown
• Actor in a Leading Role: Jacob Pearce, Nathan Detroit
• Actor in a Supporting Role: Jacob Sadow, Harry the Horse
• Actor in a Supporting Role: Brandon Warren, Nicely-Nicely Johnson
• Musical Direction: Michael Bizzaro and Travis Keller
• Lighting Design: Lenora Gant and Caleb Werkmeister
• Chorus
• Orchestra
  
  

2016 Outstanding Musical Nominee profiles:

Cherry Creek High School
Fairview High School
Mountain View High School
Denver School of the Arts
Arvada West High School

Bobby G Awards: Ticket information

Selected recent NewsCenter coverage of the Bobby G Awards:
2016 Bobby G Award nominations: The complete list
​Bobby G Awards a triumph for Durango High School
Video: Outstanding Actor Nominee Performances
Video: Bobby G Award winners sing National Anthem at Rockies game
Video: The Acceptance Speeches
Video: A look at Durango’s Outstanding Musical, Les Misérables
Photos: The 2015 Bobby G Awards. (Download for free)
Andre’ Rodriguez’s stirring Bobby G Awards speech
Video: See how we introduced all 30 participating schools
Video: Page to Stage highlights with Bobby G Awards winners
Meet your Bobby G Awards nominees, in their own words
Video: Coloradans on Broadway to high-schoolers: ‘Be relentlessly yourself’
2014-15 Bobby G Awards: Complete list of nominations