bergenPACPAS' AIDA Plays to Over 1,500 Audience Members

bergenPAC Performing Arts School located at 1 Depot Square in Englewood NJ performed AIDA to over 1,500 people during its three day run on the bergenPAC stage July 31, August 1, and August 2. The fully staged musical production was performed by young adults aged 13-25. They rehearsed every day during the month of July for 7 hours a day. Over 800 people attended the three-day run with multiple standing ovations at each performance.

AIDA was chosen for its message of love triumphing over war and ethnicity and that its story still resonates with its themes of acceptance, betrayal, love, and war. The goal was to create a world on the bergenPAC stage that captures the audience's attention and provokes thought.

AIDA was director/choreographer Bernard J Solomon's directorial debut at bergenPAC. For the past eight years BJ was the Artistic Director of the Hillsborough High School Theatre program where he directed over 20 productions and received over 50 nominations from the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards and Montclair Theater Night Awards.

Music Director Ilene Greenbaum is a longtime recognized music director and conductor in the New Jersey theatre world. Rebecca Sonia, Associate Director/Assistant Choreographer, an alumnus of beyondDANCE at bergenPAC is a graduate of the University of the Arts with a BFA in Jazz/Theatre Dance and Minor in Musical Theatre. Associate Music Director Glen Gordon is an accomplished composer, pianist and music director, having worked in the industry for over twenty-five years.

The Performing Arts School holds a musical theater production in early summer each year. Auditions are open to the public. Additionally, there are on-going musical theater workshops for all ages. For fall schedule/registration, please visit bergenpac.org/theaterschedule.

Photo Credit: Mark Wyville