WEST GENESEE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — It’s high school musical season and West Genesee kicks things off on February 2, with Nice Work if You Can Get It.  

It’s a screwball comedy set in the 1920s with songs by the Gershwin brothers, and the students have been working on it for months.

Carrie Lazarus sat down with the school’s Music Director for The Conversation.

NewsChannel 9’s Carrie Lazarus: “What is it about musical theater in the high school musical that is so special?”

West Genesee Choral Music Director, Tony Alvaro: “I think for me the best thing about high school theater is that it brings together everything we do in arts. It’s acting on stage, it’s instrumental folks playing their instruments, it’s voice students singing, it’s students building arts and folks running lights, and sound and we put that together and do a show for the community.”

NewsChannel 9’s Carrie Lazarus: “And what do you think it does for the students to be part of something like this?”

West Genesee Choral Music Director, Tony Alvaro: “First, I think it teaches them how to be part of a team, how to work together. I think it gives them a chance to step out of themselves and I think high school is a great time to try everything see what you like see what you’re good at. You might find you discover something about yourself that you didn’t before and hopefully, you walk away from this with some great memories and some great friends.”

NewsChannel 9’s Carrie Lazarus: “Is there one show, I know you’ve done many, dozens but is there one that stands out?”

West Genesee Choral Music Director, Tony Alvaro: “There’s a bunch over the years but I will say there’s my favorite was one that I had all three of my own children in, it was Mary Poppins…”

NewsChannel 9’s Carrie Lazarus: “What would you say the arts bring to a community?”

West Genesee Choral Music Director, Tony Alvaro: “It brings humanity. It gives you a safe way to deal with emotions, it might be the first time for kids to process something, it gives us a look at people from all different cultures, places, times and it gives us a way to translate and understand them better.  Sounds like skills the students will take off the stage and into their lives. We certainly hope so.”

Nice Work If You Can Get It opens on February 2 at 7 p.m. and runs through Saturday at West Genesee.