Hardaway Gave Regards To Broadway.

"Give My Regards To Broadway" will forever be imprinted in the minds of those in cast and crew.  There was a wonderful cast, a wonderful crew, and an outstanding director, and an outstanding performance--without the recognition.      "Give My Regards To Broadway" is a play depicting the hardships, aspirations, and realities of "making it" on Broadway.      Mary, played by freshman Amanda Brown, had left home in hopes of becoming a star.  Since the play was set in the 1920's, gangster activities were the vehicle through which a large part of the humor was displayed.  Josh Hammett was pitted against Chris Harbour, the "mob boss" as he ran for his life.  After all of the girls' hardships, they got their act together, and the show went on.      One Act Play Competition was held on November 11,1999.  Hardaway was the last school to perform their One Act Play at competition.  Four other schools from Columbus performed; including Columbus High with "Working," Jordon High with "Alice's Wonderland," Troup County with "The Wiz," and Kendrick High with "Nobody Sleeps."  Each show was unique in its own way.  "Hardaway's performance out-shined all others," said Mrs. Wells, a teacher who attended competition.  Cast and crew members said competition was awesome, and they could feel the energy backstage.  Ben Reed, the assistant director and former graduate of Hardaway, was in the sound booth for the duration of the show.  He could hear every word that came out of every person's mouth.  He also said in all of the competitions he has been in, he was never so sure of winning.  Mr. Seifert gave the group a talk before placements were announced and told how proud he was of them.      Hardaway's One Act Competitions are all about ensemble.  Meaning the group is like a machine, and if one part gets loose or broken the whole machine stops working.  When all was said and done, a family had been created.  With a family comes heartache as well as triumphs.  The cast and crew members felt a major triumph after performing.  They jogged around the side of Taylor County High School after their performance while singing, dancing, and cheering.  Columbus high set up an applause for the group.  A few students from other schools joined in because they wanted to have fun, and that's exactly what these students had.  No one needs a trophy to tell him what an outstanding job he did; he knows it in his heart.      At the awards ceremony, the ensemble clenched hands as they awaited the placement announcements.  "Working" came in first, "The Wiz" in second, and "Alice's Wonderland" third.  They knew in their hearts they had done their absolute best, but tears were still shed for the agony of defeat.  The judges scrutinized the show with no hesitation.  nothing was said about ensemble, singing, dancing, project, or articulation.  "Nothing negative could be said about these things because the show was awesome," said Ben Reed.  One judge didn't like the show; therefore, he didn't want it to place.  If the judges had known how much work went into the show, they might have taken points off for valid mistakes.  Practice makes perfect, and practice is exactly what these students did.  They put their heart and soul into it.      Friends, parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and other relatives came to the show and gave nothing but the highest honors and praises to the students.  This alone boosted to the energy and esteem needed to conquer competition.      Even though the cast and crew did not receive a trophy, each member put his all in to the show.  The cast members are as follows:  Josh Hammett, Jonathan Pinney, Brian Cohen, Rudie Valerie, Amanda Brown, Sara Hutchinson, Racheal Posey, Aaron Lewis, Kristen Metcalfe, Kristen Anthony, Abby Johnson, Erica Brown, Kacie Tyner, Karen Kelly, Charlene Manuel, Christy Stewert, Caitlin Cook, Chris Harbour, Chris Patterson, and Clay Peck.  These people could have never pulled this show off without the awesome crew backing them up.  These people are:  Alisha Herrington, Brett Stanelle, Lisa Mayo, Chelsea McLemore, Mark Jamieson, Danial Rushing, Micheal Williams, Leslie Oaks, Hanna Probst, and Jonathan Miles.  Every last one of those people worked together to create one fine production.  It was said best by the director, Lisa Brinker, "If George M. Cohan, the man who wrote 'Give My Regards To Broadway,' had seen this year's production, he would have said, "Forget Broadway...Give My Regards To Hardaway!!!"

Hawk Talk Racheal Posey