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Fire Alarms Can’t Stop Elmsford Students’ School Musical

GREENBURGH, N.Y. – Elmsford students had to deal with more than just a bout of stage fright Friday during their opening night performance of “Annie Jr.”

The Alexander Hamilton Junior/Senior High School Drama Club’s musical was interrupted twice by accidental fire alarms, one of which emptied the auditorium for over 15 minutes.

“I told the students we just have to roll with the punches,” Show Director Harry Rios said after the show. “But it certainly made for a memorable night.”

Roughly an hour into the performance of “Annie Jr.,” a trimmed down version of the Broadway musical, fire alarm lights began flashing and the horns sounded at Alexander Hamilton High School.

Administrators ushered the audience and cast out of the building, leading them onto the front lawn as the school waited for the fire department to respond.

After 15 minutes, Elmsford firefighters gave the okay and the crowd filed back into the auditorium.

But before they had time to settle in for the second act, the alarms went off a second time, sending the audience into a series of groans and grumbling.

This time, school officials silenced the alarms without evacuating the building.

Rios said the faulty alarms were caused by ongoing construction in the building and sawdust that clogged the system.

The students, however, didn’t miss a beat as the show picked up where it left off. The cast belted out popular numbers like "Tomorrow" and “Easy Street,” singing and dancing their way to a standing ovation.

Joi Tynes, who played orphan Kate and Annette the servant, said the alarms weren’t a distraction for the cast.

“We just had to regroup,” Tynes said.

Rios said he was pleased with the way students responded and they handled the distractions.

“It was fabulous,” Rios said. “They stepped up in a major way.”

A repeat showing of the performance will take place Saturday night at 5 p.m. in the Alexander High School Auditorium.

 

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