LANDMARK PUBLIC SCHOOL UTILIZES THE ARTS TO INCREASE STUDENT TEST SCORES AND EXPAND CURRICULUM WITH ORIGINAL MUSICAL

Original musical Born to Sing" not only showcases student talent at Wadleigh Secondary School, but provides students with incentives to excel in their academics.

New York, NY- March 13, 2003: Hillary Clinton once noted that it takes a whole village to raise a child". In the case of Wadleigh Secondary School it is the combination of a strong performing arts program tied in with support from parents and teachers that helped transform this school from a low performing school in Harlem to a beacon which has attracted the attention of administrators, guidance counselors, parents and the like. With the upcoming performance of the original musical Born to Sing, opening April 3, 2003, Wadleigh looks forward to not only showcasing the talent of its students but also highlighting how far the school has come.

A five year journey
When Evelyn Collins, joined Wadleigh Secondary School as a theatre director five years ago, the school was in the midst of major turmoil. Student test scores were low, the school had been placed on the School Under Regents Review or SURR list and many of the children were not reading on proper grade level. Now five years later , with a host of theatrical performances under its belt (The Wiz (99), A Raisin in the Sun (99), Dreamgirls (00), A Soldiers Play (00), West Side Story (01) and A Chorus Line (02) and a strong performing arts program in place, Wadleigh has been taken off of the SURR list and students are performing significantly better. In addition, the programs most recent production, Fame(02) proved to be such a hit with the community, that the production was taped for airing on a local cable network. Many in the community, particularly the principal Karen Watts, attribute the rise in academic performance to the presence of the performing arts program. I am so pleased that the hard work of the students under our theater director Evelyn Collins coupled with the hard word of our teachers in both the middle school and high school are finally coming to fruition."

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Born to Sing Press Release
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About Born to Sing
Written and directed by Evelyn Collins, with a musical score by Gregg Payne, Born to Sing spans 90 minutes in length. The musical chronicles the spiritual journey of Ella Jackson who through her attempts to cope with the untimely death of her mother at the age of ten finds the strength as an adult to embrace her true calling with the help of her mothers wisdom and the advice she receives from an unlikely guardian angel. While Born to Sing is a workshop production featuring students in grades 7 through 12, future plans include restaging the production with adult actors in The Harlem Ensemble Company and mounting a 5-10 city tour. Ultimately, the goal for Born to Sing will be its adaptation into a feature film. Says Evelyn Collins, The arts have the ability to transform lives, and Wadleigh Performing Arts students are living examples of lives being positively transformed."

Scheduled for a limited engagement, Born to Sing will run from April 3rd through April 5th, with performances beginning at 7:30 pm. On April 6th, the school will offer a special matinee performance at 3:00 pm. All performances will be held in the Wadleigh School Auditorium. Wadleigh Secondary School is located at 215 West 114th Street, between Adam Clayton Powell and Frederick Douglass Boulevards and is accessible via the #2/3 trains to 116th Street. Tickets may be purchased at the Wadleigh Secondary School box office one hour before show time. The cost of a ticket is $5.00, with proceeds benefiting Wadleigh Performing Arts. For more information about Wadleigh Secondary School, please log onto the website at http://www.wadleighnyc.org/ or call the school at 212-749-5800.

About Wadleigh Performing Arts
Wadleigh Secondary School formerly known as Wadleigh High School for Girls, first opened its doors in 1900 becoming the first girls public high school in New York City. Due to its rich history in the city, the building where the school is housed was awarded official landmark status in 1994 by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Wadleigh Performing Arts trains and nurtures the artistic aspirations of students in grades 6 through 12. By combining classes, workshops, guest artist series, trips, and performances our students not only satisfy the NYC learning standards for the arts they exceed them. Wadleigh Performing Arts students have been featured in films, television, and Off-Off Broadway productions. Wadleigh Performing Arts programs are sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive.

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