"Fairycakes" Grand Debut, A Hit Through and Through! #207Now #theatre #drama @mainewestdrama @mainewestfab @mwhs207 @mwactivities

Opening night of the Maine West Fine Arts Department's production of Douglas Carter Beane’s Fairycakes was an absolute delight! From the play began, the students’ vibrant energy, comedic timing, and skillful delivery enchanted the audience, making for an unforgettable evening of theater.

The cast tackled Beane’s witty script with remarkable poise, bringing to life the whimsical world of mischievous fairies and their adventures. Their ability to balance the play’s clever humor with moments of heartfelt emotion showcased the depth of their talent. Each character was crafted with precision, ensuring that no moment on stage was wasted.

The technical elements were equally impressive. The set, designed to reflect the magical forest, transported the audience into the play’s enchanting realm. Costumes were colorful and imaginative, perfectly complementing the fairytale atmosphere. The lighting and sound added subtle, yet powerful, touches that enhanced the overall experience.

The students’ hard work and dedication were evident throughout the production. Their commitment to bringing Fairycakes to life resulted in a professional-level performance that left the audience in awe!

Bravo to all of the students involved in the Fairycakes production, and to director, David Harmon, tech director, Peter McManus, and costumer, Mya Figueroa on an extremely successful opening night!

HERE is the program for the production.

HERE are many more pictures from the opening night performance.

There are two additional performances of Fairycakes by Douglas Carter Beane:

October 18th at 7:00 P.M.

October 19th at 7:00 P.M.

All performances are in the Maine West High School Auditorium. Tickets are $7/students and $12/adults. Get your tickets in advance at bit.ly/MWBoxOffice (case-sensitive)

Maine West & District 62 Middle School Bands Collaborate for Marching Band Night #207Now #band #marchingband @mainewestband @mainewestfab @62schools

 

On Wednesday, October 16th, Maine West welcomed students and directors from the three District 62 middle schools - Iroquois, Chippewa and Algonquin - to perform in the annual Maine West & District 62 Marching Band Night. 

The Marching Warriors performed their show, Mad Romance, and the District 62 students joined the Marching Warriors in performance of the Warrior Fight Song.

Thank you to all of the students and directors for coming to Maine West to share the joy of music! We look forward to welcoming all of the future Warriors to the West Band!

Click HERE to learn more about the Maine West Band, and what to look forward to when you join us at West! 

Click HERE to see many more pictures from the event!

Congratulations to Maine West Musicians Earning All-District Honors! #207Now #ilmea #honors @mainewestband @mainewestchoir @mworchestras @mainewestfab @mwhs207 @mwactivities

 

Congratulations to the student musicians from Maine West High School who earned placement, by competitive audition, into the 2024 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-District Band, Choir, Orchestra and Jazz Band. These musicians submitted audition videos to the ILMEA, which were reviewed and scored by a panel of professional musicians. The scores were then ranked, and the top scoring musicians in the region were selected for participation in the District 7 ILMEA Festival, which will be held on Saturday, November 9 at Glenbrook South High School for Band, Choir and Orchestra and on Saturday, November 16th at Niles North High School for Jazz Band.

Selection to the ILMEA district honors ensembles distinguishes these musicians as some of the best musicians in the region. It is also the result of many hours of practice on the extremely challenging audition material. The Fine Arts Department is extremely proud of these musicians.

We are proud to announce this year's group of musicians who earned placement into the District 7 ILMEA Honors Ensembles:

BAND
Aaron Nisius (12), Bassoon

CHOIR
Frances Dela Cruz (11), Soprano II
Irene Han (12), Soprano II
Cristopher Lawpattanapong (11), Bass I

2024 Maine West Marching Band Festival #207Now #marchingband @mainewestband @mainewestfab @genevahsband @prairieridgebands @220finearts

 

On October 5th, the Maine West Marching Warriors hosted three visiting marching bands: Geneva High School Marching Vikings, Prairie Ridge High School Wolfpack Marching Band and Barrington High School Marching Broncos at the annual Maine West Marching Band Festival. The festival, organized by Maine West's director of bands, Mr. Bernie Gerstmayr, was created to offer a performance opportunity focusing on education and collaboration in a friendly, non-competitive environment that fosters musical and technical growth for area high school marching bands.

Each band performed their 2024 marching band show, and then participated in a workshop with top clinicians from around the Chicagoland area, who provided them with valuable feedback and tools to improve their craft.

Thank you to Mr. Gerstmayr for your vision and organization making tonight's event possible!

Thank you to all of the visiting band directors and marching band staff for preparing your ensembles so well and for all of your efforts that allowed them to be a part of this event!

Thank you to the student announcers, Carter Roper and Lianna Ritti, for keeping us informed and entertained!

A HUGE thank you to the many, many parent and student volunteers who helped tonight as Maine West Fine Arts Boosters volunteers! We could not have done this event without your support!

Many more pictures from the 2024 Maine West Marching Band Festival can be found HERE.

The program from the 2024 Maine West Marching Band Festival can be found HERE.

Geneva High School Marching Vikings, Directors: Neal Shipton & Riley Carter

Prairie Ridge High School Wolfpack Marching Band, Directors: Mary Kate Kuhne & Jeff Crylen

Barrington High School Marching Broncos, Director: Kevin Krivosik

Maine West High School Marching Warriors, Director: Bernie Gerstmayr

Warrior Homecoming 2024! #207Now #homecoming @mainewestband @mainewestchoir @mainewestfab

 

Homecoming is one of the most exciting times of the year at Maine West, and no Homecoming celebration is complete without the incredible energy of our marching band! Each year, our talented musicians bring the spirit of the season to life with their powerful performances, helping to ignite school pride across campus. Today, West was alive with school spirit, celebrating Homecoming 2024! The Marching Warriors treated the spectators to part of their competition show, MAD ROMANCE - The Joker's Tale!

At the Homecoming Assembly, the Choraliers kicked off the festivities with a beautiful performance of the National Anthem.

Also performing at the Assembly was DJ Josh Jimenez! This was the first time we had a live student DJ perform, and DJ Josh did an amazing job!

Thank you to the family, friends and fans of the Maine West Fine Arts Boosters for all of your efforts to support the band and all of our programs during Homecoming and all year round!

Many more pictures from Homecoming 2024 can be found HERE.

Orchestra Informance @mworchestras @mainewestfab #207Now #musiceducation

 

Tonight at the Orchestra Informance, students in the Maine West String Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra demonstrated what it is like to rehearse and play in an orchestra for family members sitting nearby within the ensemble. 

Well done, everyone! We can't wait to hear the pieces you played at the concert in October!

Thank you to all of the families who came out tonight, and to Ms. Daniella Valdez for organizing the event!

Two Maine West Drama & Choir Students Selected for All-State Musical Production! #207Now #allstate #musicaltheatre @mainewestdrama @mainewestchoir @illinoistheatreassociation @mainewestfab

 

We recently learned that TWO Maine West Drama and Choir students - Irene Han and Jaiden Maisonet - have been selected by competitive audition for the Illinois Theatre Association's All-State production of The Prom!

Selection for the ITA All-State production distinguishes these students as some of the best actors and singers in the state of Illinois! We are so proud of you, Jaiden and Irene, and can't wait to see you perform at Theatre Fest in January 2025! Thank you to Mr. Harmon and Mr. Schiffer for mentoring these students toward this success!