Easter musical ‘Upper Room’ to premiere

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

“The Upper Room,” a original Easter stage production, will premiere Friday at Fairview Arts and Outreach Center and run for four performances over two consecutive weekends.

The musical is being produced by Brian Palumbo, director of Top Hat Productions, and Rev. Robert Noble, who was director of the Struthers High School Show Choir, to which Palumbo was a member when he was a student in the 1980s.

Palumbo auditioned for the SHS Show Choir under Noble, who has since retired, and sang with it for four years.

As a high-school senior, Palumbo joined Lost Then Found Ministries, a group founded by Noble, that ministered through word and music at street outreaches, housing projects and prisons. Noble appeared in Top Hat

Productions’ “Man of La Mancha” and the Easter show “The Earth Trembled,” which ran for more than 20 seasons. Palumbo wrote and starred in “The Earth Trembled” and Noble composed several of the musical numbers.

“The Upper Room” is the first production that Palumbo and Noble have written together and are co-directing. It is set in the room the apostles fled to after their friend and leader, Jesus, was taken into custody. Palumbo is the director.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and again March 25 and 26. Admission is free and reservations are not needed.

Fairview Arts and Outreach Center is at 4220 Youngstown Poland Road. For information, call 330-881-0980.