When alumnus Martin Van Treuren (1971) returned to Hawthorne High School to watch the spring musical Singin’ in the Rain,  on Saturday, April 27, 2013, he came with more than fond memories of his own days acting on the HHS stage. He came with tales of his own Broadway debut in the very same Singin’ in the Rain.

Van Treuren arrived early before the 7:30 p.m. performance to spend time talking with the HHS cast and crew. He told them about his roles as Sid Phillips, the Villain and the Vocal Coach when he performed in Singin’ in the Rain on Broadway. He also shared his experiences in other Broadway plays including Me & My Girl, Jekyll & Hyde, A Christmas Carol, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He mentioned a bit about his work at the NYC Opera in Candide and his off-Broadway and touring roles in plays such as Anyone Can Whistle (at Carnegie Hall), Grand Hotel, The Pirates of Penzance, and Camelot with Richard Harris (whom the students recognized as Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School in two film adaptation of the Harry Potter books).

Van Treuren stressed to the young actors the importance of enjoying every minute of their time on stage. He reminded them that they are lucky to have the opportunity to gain the valuable life lessons that come with putting a play on stage—lessons in teamwork, and persistence, and stamina, and friendship.  He then encouraged everyone to relax and have fun.

After wishing the cast and crew good luck, Van Treuren sat back to enjoy the high school performance and his own memories of standing on the Hawthorne High School stage where his career began. After the show, Van Treuren headed back to New York City where he has recently joined the faculty of The Barrow Group—an award-winning non-profit theater company and acting studio.