Starmites

The Colorado Springs School Presents Out-of-This-World Musical: The Starmites

[COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO] - APRIL 23, 2024 - 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Students at The Colorado Springs School (CSS) are preparing to take audiences on an interstellar journey with their upcoming production of the sci-fi musical comedy Starmites. Starmites was nominated as BEST BROADWAY MUSICAL in 1989 and will continue to transport our CSS Kodiak community to space! 

Eleanor, a shy teenager, collects science fiction comic books. To avoid growing pains, she imagines herself as a superheroine, such as in the comic books. In her fantasy, she becomes involved in the conflict between the evil Shak Graa and the Starmites, guardian angels of Innerspace. The 'Mites believe that Eleanor is pre-ordained to save the universe from destruction. Eleanor and the Starmites seek "The Cruelty," a powerful musical instrument, which they must find before it falls into the hands of Shak Graa. On their quest, they find what they believe to be a lizardly slave to Shak Graa named Trinkulus. Trink tells them that the Cruelty lies in Shriekwood forest. This scares the 'Mites, but their leader, Space Punk, encourages them to forge ahead.
 

In Shriekwood forest, Eleanor sings a soothing earthly lullaby, but Amazonian women kidnap the sleeping 'Mites. The Starmites soon meet Diva, the Queen of the Banshees. She wants one of the Starmites to wed her awkward daughter Bizarbara to fulfill a Banshee prophecy. She also guards The Cruelty. Space Punk and Eleanor are becoming attracted to each other, but Bizarbara also falls in love with Space Punk. He agrees to marry Diva's daughter to save his companions from torture but changes his mind, unable to betray his love for Eleanor.

Diva uses magic to disguise Bizarbara as Eleanor, and at the wedding ceremony between Punk and "Eleanor," the Cruelty is revealed and Trinkulus plays it, casting a hypnotic spell. Trinkulus reveals that he is truly Shak Graa in disguise and seizes the Cruelty. He prepares to sacrifice Bizarbara (who he believes to be Eleanor), which will enable him to become Master of Earth and Innerspace. Diva then joins forces with the real Eleanor and the Starmites to rescue Bizarbara. Bizarbara sacrifices herself to save the Earth. Eleanor, the wounded Space Punk, and the Starmites battle and destroy Shak Graa. It turns out that Eleanor is Diva's real daughter, the legendary Milady. Bizarbara finds her birth mother on Earth, and harmony is restored. Shak Graa, however, has escaped to Earth, leaving one loose end. (source: GoldenThroats.fandom.com)

"The Starmites is a fun, high-energy show that combines rock music, humor, and an uplifting message about finding your inner hero," said Jonathan Andujar

director of theatre education at CSS. "Our immensely talented cast and tech crew have been working tirelessly to bring this cosmic adventure to life."

The Starmites will be presented at the Louisa Performing Arts Center on the CSS campus on the following dates:

Friday, April 26, at 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 27, 7 p.m. 

Sunday, April 28, 2 p.m.

Tickets are FREE. Lobby concessions are available. Show run is approximately 2 hours with an intermission. 

Don't miss this stellar production that is fun for the whole family!
 

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About The Colorado Springs School (CSS)

Founded in 1962, The Colorado Springs School is an independent day school serving students PreK-12th grade, with a student body of approximately 300 students offering small class size, and individualized attention. The founding principles include an experiential education curriculum in all grade levels teaching the whole child. CSS has been awarded Best in Business and other regional awards in education. 

Voted by Niche.com

#1 STEM high school in Colorado Springs

#1 Best Private School in Colorado Springs PreK-12

Media Inquiries:

Media are welcome to attend but must notify us.  For more information about Experience-Centered Seminars or the Great Iron Pour, please contact Marie Newbrough, Communications & Marketing Director at: rough@css.org">mnewbrough@css.org or call (719) 440-6454

For more information and to schedule interviews, please contact: 

Marie Newbrough

The Colorado Springs School 

719-440-6454

rough@css.org">mnewbrough@css.org | www.css.org

This winter, Colorado Springs students grades nine through 12 were challenged to share their voices via the art of poetry as part of Fountain Valley School’s (FVS) 15th annual city-wide Athenaea poetry competition. 

Nearly 100 English and multilingual poems were submitted from throughout the Pikes Peak region as students from six different high schools vied for the chance to win cash prizes along with the opportunity to be published in the spring edition of FVS’s award-winning, student-produced literary magazine, Athenaea, founded in 1930 and named for the Greek goddess of wisdom Athena. Judged once again by the 6th Pikes Peak Region Poet Laureate Ashley Cornelius, poems were critiqued for their symbolism, use of metaphors, creativity, and more. 

“This was one of the hardest years yet! It was an honor to judge so many incredible pieces,” said Cornelius, a nationally recognized and multi-award-winning spoken-word poet, facilitator, cultural worker, and keynote speaker. “Poetry is a powerful way to share one’s stories, and each of the winners crafted a phenomenal and memorable message.”  

Parents, students, teachers, and Cornelius gathered in the Hacienda living room at Fountain Valley School on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, for an intimate poetry reading meant to celebrate not only National Poetry Month but also the hard work of each contributor in this year’s competition. The winners included:

English Category

1st place: Drowning by Charlize LeClaire ’27 (Cheyenne Mountain High School)
2nd place: Dear Future Me by Stella Rhee ’26 (FVS)
3rd place: Drifting by Lucy Kim ’27 (Pine Creek High School)

Honorable Mention:
The Fall by Brynn Jensen ’25 (FVS)
Mother's Generation by Molly Friedman ’24 (FVS)
I am From by Lea Mossanen ’24 (FVS)
My Shoes Are Tired by Tialer Willis ’26 (Calhan High School)
 

Multilingual Category

1st place: El Grafito de Mi Corazón by Lily Christofferson ’25 (FVS)
2nd place: Yo Soy un Pedazo de Papel by Adeline Butler ’26 (FVS)
3rd place: ¿Quiénes Son? by Tarek Murad ’27 (FVS)

Honorable Mention:
Seule by Emily Safyan ’26 (FVS)
Las Características del Bosque by Annabelle Cabaniss ’27 (FVS)
En las Montañas by Lauren Chappell ’24 (FVS)

Students could submit up to three poems per category, including an English translation in the multilingual category. In her first-place poem, Drowning, Charlize LeClaire – a freshman at Cheyenne Mountain High School – chose to reflect on the realities of teenage angst. “I was inspired by what I had seen my friends go through,” she said. “It's so hard to love when you are going through your own struggles, always waiting for someone to leave or give up on you.”

Meanwhile, Fountain Valley School Junior Lily Christofferson drew inspiration for her award-winning, multilingual poem, El Grafito de Mi Corazón, from a chemistry lesson on the characteristics of graphite. In Spanish, she writes: “Love has broken me. Layer by layer. Like graphite. It is shaved away,” noting, “This poem is comparing myself to graphite, which is incredibly strong, but only if it's not shaved away.”

To each contestant as well as all aspiring artists, Cornelius imparts the following advice: “Keep using your voice and expanding your creativity through poetry.”

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Founded in 1930, Fountain Valley School of Colorado is a boarding and day school for grades 9-12. Situated on 1,100 acres of rolling prairie in Colorado Springs, the School provides a rigorous, global curriculum in academics, arts, athletics, and the outdoors to develop young adults who are courageous, open-minded, self-reliant, curious, and compassionate. Enrollment is approximately 240 students from 23 countries, 21 states, and the Pikes Peak Region. www.fvs.edu

MEDIA ALERT AND INVITATION FOR COVERAGE 

D2 students to chat with astronauts at the International Space Station over amateur radio transmission

Media contact:

Christine O’Brien, PIO  

Office: (719) 579-2310  

Cell: (719) 660-2033  

rien@hsd2.org">cobrien@hsd2.org  

Harrison School District 2  

Who: Harrison District 2’s Stratton Meadows Elementary and Thrive Homeschool Academy students will have a Q&A session with a NASA astronaut through Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) on April 22.

What: Crew members aboard the ISS will participate in the 10-minute scheduled amateur radio contact while the ISS is overhead Colorado Springs. ARISS lets students worldwide experience the excitement of talking directly with International Space Station crew members, inspiring them to pursue interests in science, technology, engineering, and math and engaging them with radio science technology through amateur radio. The students selected to ask questions were nominated by their teachers, ranging from 3rd to 11th grade.

The astronauts themselves became amateur radio operators before launching into space, and three of the selected students are taking classes to obtain their radio licenses as well.

When: Monday, April 22 at 11:30 a.m. 

Where: Stratton Meadows Elementary at 610 Brookshire Ave.  

Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 9:00 am-1:00 pm, Chipeta Elementary School will host students from all over The Colorado Springs School District 11 for an exciting community event centered around the life skills taught through chess and the fun of the game. Studies have shown the positive impacts of chess on young students. In addition to developing cognitive skills, the game can aid children's social skills and aspects such as learning to play fair, taking turns, having respect for others, and self, and developing empathy for others' perspectives. Students attending will participate in chess games and enjoy a tasty pizza lunch in an atmosphere of good sportsmanship and good cheer. A small group of dedicated D11 staff have been sponsoring and arranging yearly chess tournaments at various school locations in the district for almost 20 years. In addition to the chess tournaments, high school chess teams volunteer in elementary school classrooms throughout the year. Chess is alive and well in D11! 

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) College of Engineering and Applied Science, with The Anschutz Foundation, architect OZ Architecture and general contractor GH Phipps, is celebrating the completion of the new Anschutz Engineering Center and the Design and Prototyping Center.

The ribbon-cutting will take place at 6 p.m. today, April 18, and will include brief remarks. A tour of the building will follow.

The 23,000-square-foot Anschutz Engineering Center is a dedicated lab building housing state-of-the-art lab space, classroom facilities, an executive conference room and faculty offices. Additionally, the project includes the nearby 3,000-square-foot shop building dedicated to fabrication, electric vehicle technology, and Senior Projects – the Design and Prototyping Center.