The Most Epic Garden Players Concert Ever - Celebrating 20 Years of Original Musicals - 2024

Alumni & Friends joined us on June 23rd, 5pm for an epic reunion concert at The Community House, celebrating 20 years under the direction of Betina Hershey.

We put this concert together with only a few rehearsals, pulling alumni and collaborators in from their busy lives to remember and celebrate these songs, this program, and Betina's 20 years of leading Garden Players and writing original musicals for GP kids to perform.

Find out more about Garden Players classes & performances at https://gardenplayers.com/

Concert Online Playbill: http://tiny.cc/June23Program

00:00 Ash Rasputnis' pre-concert skit
06:50 Opening SONG: The Most Epic - alumni full cas
7:29 Betina welcomes the audience
08:20 SONG: Only The Theater For Me
11:18 Lemontales Introduction
12:58 Reverend Fred Weidman intro of Betina and Garden Players
16:09 SONG: The Good Ol' Days, from Lemontales, performed by Betina Hershey
17:48 Betina introduces Carina
18:51 SONG: It's What You Want The Most, from Lemontales, performed by Carina Kahane
21:17 Betina introduces Denver
22:15 Denver talks about Beat by Beat Press and collaborating with Betina
23:08 My Perfect World Would Rhyme, from the Big Leap, performed by Tatiana
26:22 SONG: On My Lonesome, sung by Betina, Carina, Michaela, Isabella, and Tatiana
28:50 Musicville Medley
33:59 Acting Improv Word Association into Freeze Tag, inspired by We Are Monsters
37:34 We Are Monsters Medley
41:53 SONG: Always On The Outside, from Space Pirates, sung by Michelle Garcia
43:19 Song Medley: Captured By Space Pirates, Space Pirates
47:43 Introducing The Grunch, with our original Grunch (Gabe) and Mills (Mark)
48:36 SONG: More Like Me, from The Grunch
50:01 Betina congrats to Denver and introducing Sunny Knable
50:43 Sunny Knable talks about Betina and Garden Players
52:00 Introducing So Far From Home and Autumn
52:35 SONG: What If?
53:30 SONG: Tell It To The World, sung by Alyssa and alumni tree chorus
55:52 SONG: Caresome For A Hairsome, sung by Luke
50:08 SONG: Magic It Up, sung by Caroline, Jack, and alumni
1:00:19 Transition into Your Turn
1:00:57 Acting Improv Word Association into Freeze Tag inspired by Your Turn
1:03:01 SONG: Superhero Hotline, from Your Turn, sung by Caitlin and Jane
1:04:23 SONG: What Do We Have To Do, from Your Turn, sung by Toby and Caitlin. Trumpet: Lowell and Shawn
1:06:30 SONG: Everyday People Like You, from Your Turn, sung by Caroline and Seriana
1:08:07 SONG: Your Turn, from Your Turn
1:10:14 Betina talks about her Dad and brother and their careers, albums,
1:10:45 Betina introduces Jeff Edmond, Sunny brings up the CITG choir
1:11:58 Director Jeff Edmond talks about Betina, their partnership
1:14:19 SONG: I Won't Grow Up, sung by Betina Hershey, Jeff, CITG choir and GP alumni
1:17:20 introducing Smelly Socks from Switch It Off
1:17:44 SONG: Smelly Socks, from Switch It Off
1:20:23 SONG: The Art Of Being A Spy, from Switch It Off, sung by Caroline
1:22:57 SONG: Remember - and MEMORIES from Alumni
1:30:20 Bringing up current Garden Players and Rising Stars performers
1:31:33 SONG: Trash-Alanch, from Creature Mountain
1:32:26 SONG: What We Do This For, from Creature Mountain, sung by Benny, Brandon, with Toby and Luke
1:34:19 SONG: It's All Up To Me, from Creature Mountain, sung by Scarlett, with Jake, and current GP students
1:37:02 SONG: Clean Up Our Act, from Creature Mountain, sung by GP students
1:39:32 Introducing All Part Of The Magic and appreciating all of our alumni
1:41:05 SONG: All Part Of The Magic, from The Grunch
1:43:52 SONG: The Most Epic Concert Ever, rewritten for this concert from The Most Epic Birthday Party Ever

Garden Players Musical Theater Program for Kids in Forest Hills Queens is led by Betina Hershey who has helped a generation of Forest Hills kids sprout wings on stage. As artistic director and lead educator, Betina develops new original works inspired by and performed by kids. She teaches musical theater techniques, acting improvisation, solfège. She imbues her students with creativity, courage, and the skills to cooperate as they rehearse and participate in the process of creating and rehearse a completely original musical theater show. Actors learn to play with confidence, eloquence and poise in a family-like safe, loving, and nurturing environment.