ROZEL — The National Honor Society at Pawnee Heights will perform the musical, “45 Minutes from Broadway,” Thursday at the high school.
The musical is by Shubert Fendrich with music and lyrics by the famous George M. Cohan. The hour-long event is based on Cohan’s original “Give My Regards to Broadway.”  It tells the story of a theater group trying to get their act together in so many ways.
The play is produced by special arrangement with the Pioneer Drama Service, Inc. of Denver, Colo. Lee Durler, working with the production as both the director and the sponsor of NHS, is being helped with this event by Jessica Brownlee, music teacher, and Jeana Parker, science teacher with a great interest in music and performing.
The cast features Jayton Salmans as the director of the play within the play; Aaron Clapham as the accompanist; Jacob Hardiman as the local bookie; Casey Spence as a “Harvard man” who just drops by; and Chad Wallace as a hitman for the mob.
Chorus girls include Heather Nuckolls, Rayna Karst, Nickia Auker, Megan Milch, Darice Colglazier, Brooke Roberts and Lydia Murphy along with a couple of surprise extras.  Iris Cain plays Wallace’s moll; and Marti Faubion and Tristen Galliart play a newcomer and a famous actress both trying to earn that lead spot.
Dustin Danler, J.D. Auker, Brant Colglazier, and Scarlett Olsen will help with the production’s lights and sound. NHS President Jenna Jacobs will be rounding up any extra of the NHS crew to help make sure everyone has popcorn and something to drink.
A food drive being sponsored by the NHS is scheduled the week of March 12 to 16 to coincide with the play. Admission to the play will be donations of food for the local food banks in Rozel and Burdett.
Attendees who bring food will get to choose which high school class they want to dedicate their donations to. Class winners of the food drive contest will end up with a pizza lunch after everyone gets back from spring break.