Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I can’t explain how sad, mad and melancholy I was when I heard that they tore down the Somerville High School Auditorium (the news was circulating on social media) No! The historic auditorium where so many of us spent time at concerts, plays, lectures, and school assemblies? The auditorium where the great big S hovered over the stage? Some say it’s gone, some say it survived. At this writing I’m still unsure.

I first stepped on the SHS auditorium stage in 1968 when I was a sharecropper in Project STAR’s production of Finian’s Rainbow. Then in 1969 I played the Artful Dodger in Oliver. My last show there was in 2009, when Project Star presented my original musical, Back in The Ville. My dear friend Sophia Carafotes was assistant director and so much more (and you will hear that name again in this story).

My years in Glee Clubs and choruses during high school (Class of ’71) were crazy and fun. Whether it’s still there or not, and I’m pretty sure it is, maybe, here are some of the stories that former SHS students told us about the auditorium:

“When I was a junior, I used to sign up for every college speaker talking to prospective students – to get out of Algebra 2 class. I hated that class so I pretended I had an interest in any college that came to SHS to talk to juniors. Those meetings were in the auditorium – The best memories are with award nights and chorus concerts with Mrs. Mary Carafotes.”

“Held the football rally there every year for the Thanksgiving Day football game.”

“1969 All City string concert. I played violin. Guido Antonelli was my instructor. Constantine Limberakis (Rest in Peace) was the City Music Director.”

“Great memories of chorus concerts, musicals, assemblies and performing with my band at talent shows. Those experiences convinced me to enter a career in music education. Many thanks to Andy Smith, Mary Carafotes (beloved music teachers, rest in peace) and all my friends.”

“When Rex Trailer came to the auditorium to pitch the trip to California. We had something like 42 kids go. We had a really great time. That was in 1974.”

“I was there when Ted Kennedy came and promised to try to make mamajuana legal, 69-70.”

“Ooh, forgot about glee club concerts, including hosting Northeast District competition.”

“So many glee club and chorus performances. Paint Your Wagon and South Pacific. Jazz band. So many great memories, many with you my friend.”

“Smoke breaks in that little room upstairs from the stage.”

“Kiwanis talent show for years, Project Star plays and musicals, drama club plays, I think 2 fashion show things.”

“Bunch of plays, chorus concerts, senior year a bunch of us fell off the back of risers during performance, pep rally bunch of us guys dressed up like cheerleaders with water balloons under our tops, I have more.”

“Lovers leap in the stairway Stage left.”

“Glee club … Christmas concert … senior year … singing Carol of the Bells … still my favorite Xmas song.”

“I was about 6 or maybe 7. Santa arrived, they had kids come up on stage to sing Christmas carols. I sang alone, it started out wonderful, then stage fright and I forgot the words. Silver Bells, Silver Bells its Christmas time in the city that’s all I could remember. I must have sung just that portion quite a few times before a very caring- loving woman rescued me and joined in … that was Mrs. Carafotes. Many years later, I had her as my teacher. Silver Bells has always been one of my favorites.”

“Every Christmas season, I remember the time with fond memories. Mrs. C and I got to relive the moment every year as I journeyed through high school.”

“Ok, here’s a memory from a Talent show in 1975. My brother was in a skit called Leader of the Pack where they rode Big Wheels on stage with that song playing in the background. Just remember the audience laughing their heads off.”

A trusting DPW friend told me that the auditorium was gonzo. The mother of one of my former piano students assured me it’s still there because her son saw it. What the heck! Either way I was bombarded with so many former students’ memories that I’ll have to do another story soon.

As for me, what were my best memories of the old high school auditorium? Behind a closed curtain, standing on risers with a full house, at a huge concert, being introduced by Andy Smith, the Boys Glee Club broke out into a rousing chorus of “Schaefer is the … one beer to have … when you’re having more than one!” Mr. Smith went berserk on us! Some say to this day that I was the one who started it. No comment. Thank you to those who contributed to this story. I hope the old auditorium was saved. After all, didn’t they just do a 2-million-dollar repair and renovation? I hate progress.

More memories of the auditorium will be published in the near future with some on-stage photos. Also, upcoming,

We will get a closer look at the legacy of a woman who put a lot of students on that grand old Somerville High School auditorium stage and inspired many music careers. The most mentioned memory in this story, dedicated music teacher, Mrs. Mary Carafotes. Maybe by then we will know the true fate of the old auditorium.