Lake Zurich variety show rises from the ashes

Students from Lake Zurich High School provided a vivid illustration of the phrase, “The show must go on.”

Despite a sexual abuse charge against a drama teacher and the subsequent cancellation of the school's production of “The Sparrow,” a dark tale about a young orphan named Emily Book, students hurriedly created a replacement variety show.

And on Sunday, before a supportive audience, students staged what they appropriately titled “The Phoenix.”

Audience members enjoyed the show's humor, which included a reprise of the “Saturday Night Live” cowbell sketch and two students dancing as Pac-Man characters. There was also a duet from “Les Miserables.”

But the show also included the finale of “The Sparrow,” a dance that featured senior Keely Banach dancing while wearing wires that would periodically hoist her into air.

Before the show, Banach read a statement that addressed what the school had gone through in the past week and explained how the cast and crew had blended into a family. The statement also explained how the title of the show related to the students.

“We felt like we were kind of burned to the ground,” Banach said. “But then, as the Phoenix rises from the ashes to a new life, that's what we wanted to give across to the audience. We are one big family, and nothing is going to break us or change us.”

Banach said there was some stress in creating a brand-new production. “But it was a lot of fun. A lot of us had things in our minds that we wanted to do,” she said. “A lot of us sing and act outside of this department, so we had things that they brought to it.”

Banach said it felt good to preserve some of “The Sparrow” and show some of the hard work from the past two months.

The recent events were “very unexpected” and “very devastating,” Banach said.

“It made a lot of us very angry and sad, but at the same time this helped us grow as a community and as a family,” she said.

Drama teacher Ronald D. Culver, 51, of the 900 block of Blackburn Drive in Inverness, has been charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse by the Lake County state's attorney's office. Culver is accused of sexually abusing a student.

Culver was freed from the Lake County jail after posting 10 percent of a $10,000 bond. He has resigned from the district.

Lake Zurich Unit District 95 officials said the cancellation of “The Sparrow” was difficult and made in the best interest of students.

Superintendent Michael Egan announced to cast, crew members and parents that the play was canceled after he “tried to look at the entire situation and see what he thought was best for everyone involved,” said District 95 spokeswoman Jean Malek.

Senior Kait Wood, the show's stage manager. said, “I really enjoyed the other show. It was a beautifully written piece, and technically we put a lot of work into it.”

But Marcel Graham, the coordinator of the performing arts center and the variety show's director, said the district was gracious enough to allow parts of “The Sparrow” to be performed out of the context of the original show, as part of the variety show.

Wood said the students were given the opportunity to use acts they wanted to do from a variety of sources, including YouTube and “Saturday Night Live.”

Technically, she said, it was difficult to put together a new show at the eleventh hour.

“It's so hard,” Wood said. “We have been working really really hard the past two days. We only had one run-through before the show.”

The lighting was somewhat improvised as the show was being performed.

“Most of our cues were set up yesterday,” she said.

High school theater department producer Janet Barron, said, “I'm just so amazed at the kids. When I thought I could not stay awake one more hour to finish a program, I kept thinking about them, and I think there were so many parents who were doing the same thing.

“They really are a family, just this little unit.”

She said some of the acts, such as a medley of tunes from “Jersey Boys,” included crew members as well.

Graham said, “Luckily we have some of the most talented students in the school.

“It is 100 percent their show.”