The show may go on at TJ

By ERIC SEIVERLING

eseiverling@yourmvi.com

When the West Jefferson Hills School District shut down all classes and school-related activities on March 16 due to the coronavirus outbreak, nearly 200 Thomas Jefferson High School students and volunteers involved in the school’s musical performance of “Peter Pan” saw their hard work go unrealized.

The show was scheduled to open March 19, and its cast was looking forward to performing the first musical in the new auditorium, which was part of the new $95 million high school that opened in August.

But thanks to the determination of school officials, students and cast members, the musical may still be performed at a new date, proving that the show must go on.

School officials and the musical’s director, retired TJ English teacher Sandy Barker, are eyeing either June 25 to 27 or July 23 to 25 as new performance dates.

“The original show date was canceled only four days before the first performance, so all — me, the other directors, students, parents, community volunteers and the district — had invested an enormous amount of time and energy into the production and were proud of our product and excited about sharing our efforts with family community members if possible,” Barker said in an email. “Dates chosen are a collaboration with all aspects of the musical family and administration. 

“Taken into consideration were other activities that were priorities such as graduation and prom as well as time of month that would allow for optimum rehearsal time.”

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