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The High School of Performing Arts
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- Website: http://www.highschoolofperformingarts.com/
- Address: 120 West 46th Street, New York, New York, United States
- Type: Public Alternative High school Established: 1947 Founder: Franklin J. Keller Campus: urban
- Closed: 1984. (Merged with The High School of Music & Art to form the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts ).
From Wikipedia
The High School of Performing Arts, formally The School of Performing Arts: A Division of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, is a public alternative high school in New York City, USA. The school, informally known as "PA", was established in 1947 and first occupied its own building the following year.
This school was created in 1947 by educator and creative thinker Franklin J. Keller, as a part of Metropolitan Vocational HS, using his staff and administrators on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Under Keller's stewardship, it offered music and theater arts programs in addition to the traditional "trade" skills.
In 1948, it occupied a disused 1894 public school building on West 46th Street in the Times Square area. The new school offered programs in Music, Dance, Drama, and, for a time, Photography. There were many professionals on staff, including the young Sidney Lumet in the Drama Department. His production that year[which?] was The Young & Fair.
In 1961, the school was merged with another alternative arts school, the High School of Music & Art, while each retained its own campus. Plans for establishing a joint building for the merged schools took many years to be realized. There was opposition to loss of PA's individual identity. Both student bodies eventually moved into a shared building in 1984.
Many well-known performers were trained at the school, such as Liza Minnelli, Jennifer Aniston, Ving Rhames and Suzanne Vega.
The 1980 film Fame was set in the High School of Performing Arts, though the building was not used in filming.
the movie "Fame"
From Wikipedia
Fame is a 1980 American musical film conceived and produced by David De Silva and directed by Alan Parker. Its screenplay is by Christopher Gore, its choreography by Louis Falco and musical score by Michael Gore. The film follows a group of students through their studies at the New York High School of Performing Arts. The film is split into sections corresponding to auditions, freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years. The film ranked #42 on Entertainment Weekly's 2006 list of the "50 Best High School Movies".
The film has spawned a television series and spin-off, a stage musical that has played all over the world since 1988 when it premiered at the Coconut Playhouse in Florida, a reality competition series, and a 2009 film remake.
From imdb - trivia
The school is based on the real-life Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan. It is a public school, and therefore available to any New York City high school student who successfully auditions.
Albert Hague was an actual teacher at the school when he was hired on a whim to play Benjamin Shorofsky, a role that resurrected his acting career.
See also: "A "Fame" Screening in Central Park Draws Alumni Extras" New York Times, August 25, 2015.
Notable Alumni
- Jennifer Aniston, actor
- Arlene Martel, actor
- Liza Minnelli, entertainer
- Al Pacino, actor
- Ving Rhames, actor
- Suzanne Vega, singer-songwriter