Honor Orchard Park High School

Senate Resolution No. 2453 BY: Senator JACOBS HONORING Orchard Park High School upon the occasion of its designation as recipient of two Kenny Awards for Outstanding Orchestral Performance and Outstanding Scenic Design on May 13, 2017 WHEREAS, The arts, in whatever form depicted, are central to human expression; they are truly a universal language and their contribution to the development of friendship and understanding among all peoples cannot be underestimated; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Orchard Park High School upon the occasion of its designation as recipient of two Kenny Awards for Outstanding Orchestral Performance and Outstanding Scenic Design celebrated at an Awards Ceremony on Saturday,

May 13, 2017, at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York; and WHEREAS, The Kenny Award was created in 1993, in honor of the late Dr. Ken Lipke, the founder of Gibraltar Steel; this prestigious award is a testament to his passion and dedication to the arts and to his belief the business community is an integral pillar of support for the arts; and WHEREAS, Since then over 130 outstanding musical productions from local high schools have been recognized and honored by the Kenny Awards; the school which wins the Kenny Award for Outstanding Musical Production receives a $5,000 grant from the Lipke Foundation to support their theatre department; and WHEREAS, "The Kenny," a crystal trophy commissioned and designed exclusively for the program, is on permanent display at Shea's Performing Arts Center and stands as a tribute to the young talent throughout Western New York; and WHEREAS, Nominated for five Kenny Awards, Orchard Park High School's modernized presentation of Into the Woods garnered its gifted students two Kenny Awards for Outstanding Orchestral Performance and Outstanding Scenic Design; and WHEREAS, During the Ceremony, Orchard High School students showcased their exceptional talents with a six-minute medley of some of the group numbers and solos from the show; and WHEREAS, Written in the late 1980s by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, Into the Woods intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests; it follows classic characters such as Cinderella, Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and two original characters as they travel through the woods on a journey to reverse a curse put in place by a witch; and WHEREAS, The talented artists and designers brought the story to life with their beautiful and intricate scenery; viewers truly felt as if they were in the middle of a cool, dark forest, and could almost smell the pine of the evergreens; and WHEREAS, The perfectly in tune orchestra helped the audience feel the various emotions of the well-loved characters through high and low notes, fortes and crescendos, and changing tempos; and WHEREAS, The cast members sacrificed family time and sleep, and worked hard during their rehearsals, fully aware that the amount of time and energy they are willing to expend directly affects the quality of their production; and WHEREAS, The students held two evening performances, and two matinees, giving friends, family members and the community at large several opportunities to watch this amazing show, and applaud the superlative musical talents of their young people; and WHEREAS, Music study is most worthy of being encouraged and promoted, as it provides an opportunity for students to exhibit their skills to an audience, thereby giving them self-esteem to last a lifetime; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Orchard Park High School upon the occasion of its designation as recipient of two Kenny Awards for Outstanding Orchestral Performance and Outstanding Scenic Design on May 13, 2017; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Orchard Park High School.