Tuacahn High’s Charitable Acts Club’s production of ‘Aida’ to benefit Utah Foster Care

ST. GEORGE — The Charitable Acts Club at Tuacahn High School is set to open their production of “Aida” school edition Wednesday at the Broadway Bound Washington City Center for Music and Theater with proceeds going to help Utah Foster Care and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services.

BrynLee Lott as Amneris and Gabriela Merida as Aida in The Charitable Act Club’s production of “Aida,” St. George, Utah, date not specified | Photo by Josie Robison, St. George News

Established during founder and president Jacob Bastian’s Sophomore year at Tuacahn, the Charitable Acts Club focuses on charity and acts of service both for people inside the school for the arts and in the greater community.

The club also helps teach its members how to become good service-based leaders, Bastian said.

Bastian, who is now a senior, said since its beginnings the club has helped raise money and awareness for several different organizations both on a local and global level.

The first project the club undertook was a haunted house to raise money for Operation Smile, an organization that provides cleft care for children born with cleft or lip palates in countries where access to affordable or available medical care is difficult or impossible.

Kaden Hancock as Zoser and Jacob Bastian as Radames in The Charitable Act Club’s production of “Aida,” St. George, Utah, date not specified | Photo by Josie Robison, St. George News

“Since I was a little kid, I’ve always wanted to do something with that because I just feel so happy when I know that someone can smile because of that operation,” Bastian said of the club’s first efforts.

The club has also organized a food drive tied to a Festivus event and most recently, during home-based schooling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, created an online lecture series entitled “Canyon Talks,” which featured professionals, artists and college admissions personnel talking to students about their careers and why they do what they do, Bastian said.

“It was just to help the students in any way we could think of,” he said of the program.

Tuacahn High School’s Dean of Students Chris Andrus said he is really proud of the students in the club for taking the initiative to serve.

I love that they are taking the initiative to go help other kids, other people in need. They are not doing it because they are being told or forced to,” Andrus said, adding that being service-oriented is part of the culture of their school.

Now the students, along with other kids in the community are getting set to open the curtain on their production of the school edition of “Aida” to benefit Utah Foster Care and and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services.

Bastian said all of their profits minus the cost of the show will go to help the two organizations.

Bastian said the club chose the organizations in order to help kids in the foster care system find permanent homes.

Gabriela Merida in The Charitable Act Club’s production of “Aida,” St. George, Utah, date not specified | Photo by Josie Robison, St. George News

“There’s a lot of foster children who don’t ever get a permanent home, and they age out of the system,” Bastian said, adding that a lot of those children statistically end up incarcerated or with a hard life.

The club is hoping to start a mentoring program as well as raise awareness ane encourage people to become foster parents.

“Even teenage kids in foster care still deserve a family and a support system,” Bastian said.

With music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, the musical is based on the opera of the same name.

Bastian said he and the producer of the show are really passionate about “Aida” and have loved the music and the story for a very long time.

“I think one of the main themes is how love makes you a better person, and I think that right now what a lot of us need is love,” Bastian said.

“The music is amazing. You’re going to be blown away by the music,” he added.

Aida opens Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Broadway Bound Washington City Center for Music and Theater, 25. N. 300 West in Washington City. The show plays Wednesday through Saturday, and again Sept. 7 and Sept. 10-12 at 7 p.m. with matinees both Saturday’s during the run.

Tickets are $15 per person. Group discounts are available for groups larger than 20. Tickets can be purchased online.

Due to social distancing measures in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, limited seats will be sold for each show. Masks are strongly encouraged as the students work to keep the environment safe for the cast, crew and audience.

Event details

  • What: Tuacahn High School Charitable Acts Club presents “Aida” school edition.
  • When: Wednesday-Saturday, Sept. 2-5 and Monday, Sept. 7 and Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 10-12, 7 p.m. with matinees Saturday, Sept. 5 and Saturday, Sept. 12 at 2 p.m.
  • Where: Broadway Bound Washington City Center for Music and Theater, 25 N. 300 West, Washington City.
  • Cost: $15; group discounts available.
  • Purchase tickets: Online.
  • Additional information: Due to social distancing requirements, limited seating is available. Masks are strongly encouraged.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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