THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Burlington Red Devils vs. Reading Rockets

This week's varsity football match-up will see the Burlington Red Devils take on the Reading Rockets in another much anticipated game on home turf on THURSDAY, September 6! Following last week's victory over Woburn, the team is pumped up for another!

The BHS Marching Band will be light up the field as they perform their half-time show. Don't miss their exciting performance on the field just two days prior to their participation in the Salem (NH) Invitational on Saturday.

Note to BHS: We love the new scoreboard! Thanks go out to Goochis Insurance!

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Burlington Red Devils vs. Woburn Tanners

The age old rivalry between Burlington and Woburn is about to commence!

Under the beautiful September evening sky, the Burlington Red Devils will take on the Woburn Tanners at 7:00 pm at Burlington's Varsity Field.

Plenty of concessions available....don't forget to purchase your Boosters scarf and seat cushion, too!

Arrive extra early because this is the biggest game of the season!

A Decade of Remembrance

As members of the Burlington High School music program joined the local community this morning on the common to commemorate September 11 during “A Decade of Remembrance,” we were filled with pride for our community, coming together with a show of love and support for the families of the innocent victims near and far who lost their lives, as well as our local first responders and troops who still serve and protect.

Community events like this provide an opportunity to collectively share in the moment of remembrance. As we stood under a crystalline sky early this morning, we did just that, calling back the memories we had of that day 10 years ago. It was an opportunity to “never forget” by relating our own personal stories of where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news.

Music brings special meaning to events such as this by providing the opportunity to reflect on the moment, much the same as it does in worship. Punctuating the prayers and speeches during today’s event were musical performances by the Liberty Belle Chorus, Stuart Highland Pipe Band and our own members of the BHS Marching Band Drum Line and first trumpet section.

The melancholy melodies of the bagpipes and drum as they drew near, the steady beat of the BHS Drum Line as it processed and recessed leading honor guards from the armed forces and our local police and fire departments, the singular voice of “Taps” delivered by members of the BHS trumpet section, and the voices that sang in tribute to our country and troops had a profound effect on all those present this morning.

The BHS Music Boosters and the entire high school community can be proud of our young musicians and their director Matt Lovell. Their service at events like this combined with their musicianship, honor and reverence for the day is an extraordinary experience that stretches far beyond the classroom.

The lyrics of our national anthem rang ever-so-poignantly today as the flag was raised to half-staff:

Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

We will never forget.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? BHS vs Billerica this Friday

It's hard to believe that the football season at BHS is once again upon us. Following some hot summer days of marching band camp, the BHS Marching Band will take to the field for their first half-time show of the season at Billerica.

The game on Friday will take place at the Marshall Middle School, 15 Floyd S. From Burlington drive approximately 6.5 miles north on Cambridge Street (becomes Boston Road in Billerica. Turn right on Route 129, Floyd Street.

This is an age old rivalry so prepare to arrive early! The game starts at 7:00 pm. The bus for marching members departs at 6 so students need to arrive early to change into uniform and pack the bus.

LET'S GO BURLINGTON!!!

Middleton-Cox honors 9/11 victims in Shanksville, at Pentagon and Times Square

This Sunday as all Americans remember the tragedy of 9/11, the World Memorial Patriot Flag project will continue on its mission to travel to 50 states in 50 weeks crossing the country and travelling nearly ninety thousand miles honoring the fallen.

Transporting its 30 x 56 foot flag to honor the first and second responders, 9/11 families and the fallen of the attacks on America, the Patriot Flag will make its Ten Year Anniversary stops at the sites that have become a part of that tragic day.

Travelling with the Patriot Flag to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, The Pentagon and Times Square will be local musician and music educator John Middleton-Cox of North Andover, Massachusetts, a gifted tenor who has accepted the invitation to perform “The Star Spangled Banner” as the flag is raised at these sites.

Middleton-Cox has already felt the humility and pride that go with a performance of this type, having travelled alongside the Patriot Flag to five other venues across New England.

In his own words, Middleton-Cox explains the significance of his performance.

I don't need the attention, it is more a point of pride. I am honored to just be among these people, namely retired FDNY Lieutenant Joe Torrillo who survived both towers of the World Trade Center falling on him. As a survivor he has dedicated his life to lifting up the memory and the sacrifice these brave men and women gave. It is a way to draw attention to the first responders, to say we are paying attention and we remember; the ones who gave their lives, the families they left behind, and the current emergency teams serving today. Thank you for risking your lives for our safety.

Middleton-Cox has been with Burlington Public Schools as a music educator and the Coordinator of Music since the fall of 2000. As a performer he has taken the stage as the leading man in operas and musical theatre. He serves as music director and is a member of the trio, The New England Tenors, and is Music Director for the North Parish Church in North Andover.

A man who has performed in concert halls and dinner theatres, his performances this Sunday will be the most humbling of his entire career. A solitary voice in a lonely field in Pennsylvania, at the headquarters for this country’s Department of Defense and at the “crossroads of the world” in New York City, Middleton-Cox will perform a capella to honor all Americans, resting on the final and profound phrase, “Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave,” as the flag, a symbol of pride, unity and resolve, is raised high.

Sponsored by local fire departments and American Legion posts, the goal of The Patriot Flag is to send the message “United We Stand, We Have Not Forgotten.” For more information on the World Memorial’s Patriot Flag event, including the complete schedule of stops on its 50 state tour, visit their website at http://www.thepatriotflag.us.

BURLINGTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS presents "The Last Five Years"

There is something fresh and exciting on the arts scene in Burlington that has arisen from the thriving programs at Burlington High School. Former BHS students have taken their experience and love for music, theatre and the visual arts, combined it with the momentum in our town to grow the town center into a flourishing community space, and created Burlington Center for the Arts.

Ovian, Parker and Cook collaborate on  staging

The inaugural event for Burlington Center for the Arts will take place on Friday, August 19 with the production of Jason Robert Brown’s award winning musical drama, The Last Five Years, a remarkable work and favorite from  contemporary musical theatre. The story follows an ambitious and headstrong writer, and an aspiring but not so successful actress through their  relationship in a chronological/counter-chronological narration that offers a level of depth to this painfully sad and, at times, hilariously silly, piece of award-winning theatre.

The two-person cast stars Zaven Ovian and Jamie Cook, both by-products of Burlington High School musical theatre productions. Cook graduated from BHS in 2009 and is currently studying at Hofstra University in New York. Ovian will be entering his senior year at Burlington High School with his sights set on New York City. Both actors have a number of impressive credits and possess a charismatic stage presence.

The directing team features Brad Jensen (BHS 2008) and Kevin Parker (BHS 2010).

Burlington Center for the Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of arts in Burlington. Educating youth in the arts is a primary aim of the organization with a long-term goal to create and maintain a venue for educational arts groups, regional theatre companies and dance troupes, and local artists to rehearse, perform, or showcase their skills.

The performance of The Last Five Years will take place at the UCC Congregational Education Building at 6 Lexington Street in Burlington at 7:30 pm. A silent auction will also take place during the evening's event including items from The Huntington Theatre and Beacon Grille.


Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and senior citizens and can be reserved at 866-936-4354, by email at burlingtonarts@gmail.com or purchased at the door. For more information about Burlington Center for the Arts, visit their website at www.sites.google.com/site/BurlingtonCenterForTheArts.

WILLY WONKA JR: B.E.S.T. Candy Man Around!

Burlington Educational Summer Theatre (BEST), a program of the Burlington Public Schools, returns to the stage of the Fogelberg Performing Arts Center for its third summer season with performances of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka Jr.“ on July 23 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm.

Based on Roald Dahl’s timeless story of the world famous candy man and his quest to find an heir, the BEST production features more than 60 students from Burlington schools ranging in age from seven to thirteen. Adapted for the stage by Leslie Bricusse and Timothy A. McDonald, the memorable score features songs from the original movie, including “The Candy Man,” “Pure Imagination,” “Oompa Loompa” and “I Want It Now” by Academy and Grammy award winning composers Bricusse and Anthony Newley.

Starring in this year’s production of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka Jr” are Patrick Creedon as Charlie Bucket, Rachel Czerwinski as Willy Wonka, Sydney Matai as Augustus Gloop, Erin Hanafin as Grandma Josephina, Amanda Weigreich as Grandma Georgina, Shane Manfredi as Grandpa George, Rachel Seeley as Grandpa Joe, Lindsay Corbett as James, and Sara Cannalonga as Matilda. Also featured in the cast are Timmy Sullivan as Mike Teavee and Emily Frost as Mrs. Teavee; Emma Saltsman as Mr. Bucket and Kait Brine as Mrs. Bucket; Ivy Saltsman as Veruca Salt, Zachary Glantz as Mr. Salt and Andrea Murray as Mrs. Salt; Jessie Goober as Violet Beauregard and Cassidy Cummings as Mrs. Beauregard; Jade Gordon as Mrs. Gloop; Elana Schlansky as Phinious Trout; and Gabrielle Corsino as the Candyman.

Cast and ensemble members are also cast in, among other roles, Oompa Loompas, Cooks, Squirrels, Video Game Children, Candy Man Children. They are Maggie Allen, Elizabeth Amaral, Elizabeth Bond, Isabel Bowen, Madison Carter, Lindsay Corbett, Scott Czerwinski, Megan Doherty, Carly Frost, Marlea Gainley, Shaylinn Gainley, Mari Gedick, Julia Gelin, Julia Gillis, Mikaila Gnerre, Elisa Gonzalez, Mary Hanafin, Jenna Heffler, Kailee Heffler, Nicholas Heisler, Lilly Hovasse, Kellsee Lynch, Krista Magnarelli, Chloe McGonagle, Amanda Melin, Angela Melin, Glen Middleton-Cox, Samantha Murphy Heather Murphy, Jillian Murray, Juliana Nigro, Stephan Nigro, Jordyn Nobrega, Nicole Noonan, Cameron Noonan, Sarah Owens, Annalisa Petrizzi, Christina Raposo, Kacey Ridley, Rachel Schlansky, Michael Seeley, Caitlyn Shea, Julie Surabian, Erica Van Stry, Joseph Viscione, Joyna Wallus and Claudia Webb.

Burlington Educational Summer Theatre offers a professionally produced educational theatre experience for students. The program is under the guidance of BEST Executive Director John Middleton-Cox, a highly regarded theatre professional and music educator in the Burlington Public Schools.

Returning to BEST this year are Jeanne Coroniti as Artistic and Music Director and Leanne Reardon as Choreographer, along with professional set designer Peter Waldron and award-winning costume designer Maureen Krebs. Joining them will be Beth Pendery as Production Director, Jill Keaney as Assistant Choreographer, Kevin Parker as Company Manager and Sammie Ellis as Production Assistant. BEST staff members also include a number of high school students and graduates, all veterans of Burlington High School productions, in roles as crew members and counselors, providing a unique mentoring opportunity for all the young students.

Due to an overwhelming response for its summer theatre program Burlington Public Schools has also created a brand new program running in tandem with the theatre production. The BEST Workshop provides an opportunity for its students to focus on performance skills that encourage self-esteem while building self-confidence. Directing the workshop is Endicott College educator and composer/performer Nanette Perrotte. Students are taught voice, acting and dance skills, monologue and audition prep and imagination skills. The workshop students will showcase their new skills in an exciting final performance on July 15 at 1:00 pm.

The BEST performance of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka, Jr” will take place in the 800-seat, air conditioned Fogelberg Performing Arts Center located at 123 Cambridge Street, Burlington. Reserved seating tickets are $10 for students and senior citizens, $15 for adults; tickets can be purchased at www.BurlingtonTickets.org. For more information please call 781-A-FUN-TIC. Fogelberg Performing Arts Center is handicapped accessible.