Co-founder of the Hall-Hill performing arts programs at Nova High School, Broward County Performing Arts (Dillard High School), and The Atlantic Foundation for the Performing Arts

Tribute to Joyce: (Lorna, “Cookie” Latham)

Where would we be in this world without teachers who push us to do a little more than we ever thought we were capable of doing? It’s easy to settle sometimes for what’s good, what gets you by, when you’re a kid. Some of our teachers, however, recognize that we are capable of more. They won’t settle for good. They push you for excellence. Joyce recognized that we were capable of more than we often gave. She drove us. We wanted to please her. So we gave more and more. We loved her. So we gave more and more. We were taught to be professional. We were taught that we were professional.

When I was in school I was called Cookie. My given name is Lorna. I hated the name Lorna. Joyce said it was a beautiful name. Since then, I’ve thought so too.

More about Joyce Hall and Allen Hill

He had his work cut out for him being brother to Paige, Julie and Lisa.

You are welcome to use the pages as a reference. (Roger, if you can insert a link to my home page [ Halsey Lighting ] here, that would be great!. Halsey is my bestest buddy and black Labrador Retriever, how could I NOT name my company after her???

My e-mail address is Halsey@aol.com. Please say something about Nova or use my name in the subject line so that I don’t delete your e-mail thinking that it’s junk e-mail or spam. I get lots of spam & if I don’t recognize the name I delete it. I’d hate to miss your note.

Contact: email: Halsey@aol.com

Web Site: Halsey Lighting

then

now

Co-founder of the Hall-Hill performing arts programs at Nova High School, Broward County Performing Arts (Dillard High School), and The Atlantic Foundation for the Performing Arts.

After leaving Fort Lauderdale for New York, I spent several years surviving in the music business in New York. I played auditions, rehearsals and went out as conductor with a couple of shows.

Quite by accident, I took a job at a law firm working for William Mac Duff (former Nova Student). His job was to train me on the Atex document processing system. Mac and I were trying to ‘match schedules’ so as to work on a musical we were writing together.

Well, things change and move on. I got trapped by steady work and a paycheck and Mac moved to California. I became a “Computer Applications Engineer” for Skadden, Arps law firm. Finally, I retired from the corporate world, moved to Palm Springs, CA and now concentrate on music writing.

I have written several shows with collaborator Russ Thacker and I have written and enjoyed New York performances of a number of my religious works as well. Current projects are all over the map but they remain secret.

My first recording creation is called ‘Christmas for a New Age’. My next cd is underway called ‘Wedding Music for a New Age’. This and many other things can be found on my PAH MUSIC web site www.pahmusic.com.  Also, the Performing Arts Alumni web site is:  ww.hallhillpa.org

Check it out.

Contact: pah3@me.com

My first show was in 1975 as an Ensemble member in Annie Get Your Gun at Hollywood Hills High School. I moved to Ft. Lauderdale in 1976 and went to Stranahan High School. I also took my first ballet class that year. I joined the Broward County High of the Performing Arts in 1978, and I was given the song Thank God I’m A Country Boy because I was the only guy that could hit the high A. LOL! Then, did Dames At Sea with Buffy, Michael and a really talented cast. I then auditioned for and was accepted to The Juilliard School later that year after only 2 years of formal training. Talk about being overjoyed! But, I returned to Ft. Lauderdale in 1979 when I wasn’t invited back for the next year (it’s a long story, but it was tough, not what I expected and I was totally unprepared, but a great experience nonetheless). I rejoined the gang at The Atlantic Foundation for the Performing Arts to work on my skills so I could go back to NYC, which I did in 1980. While I wasn’t accepted at Juilliard when I auditioned again, I chose to acquire my BA at Marymount Manhattan College. I was the first in my family to get a college education and did so without any assistance from anyone.

Years went by and I moved to New England, the mid-West, San Jose CA and many places in between. I came back to New England in 1998 and went back and forth between MA and NH. I had lost touch with practically everyone from FL, and then, Gary Mendelson contacted me and here I am. I am excited to be back in touch with the performing arts crew and saddened to learn of those that have left us way too soon. Hopefully through email and Facebook we can keep in touch!

Here is an extended version of my theatrical resume:  Allan is a native of the Hollywood / Ft. Lauderdale, FL area, and has lived in 10 different states (not counting anxiety and depression). Ba dum bum! Ha! He left Florida to attend The Juilliard School and then Marymount Manhattan College, where he received his BA in Dance with a minor in Theater and an emphasis in music. It was while he was in a production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company at MMC (in 1983) that he got his first inspiration to write a musical called Goodnight, New York (which is still in progress) and wrote the title song.

Also while in college, he performed at the Surflight Summer Theater in Beach Haven, NJ and performed in 10 full-length musicals in 10 weeks (including Gypsy, Cabaret, On the Twentieth Century, Music Man, and Oklahoma!), and a dancer in Hello Dolly! at the Carousel Dinner Theater in Ravenna, Ohio in the summer of 1983. Later that decade he moved to Rhode Island, and while there was cast as Frederick in The Pirates of Penzance in 1990. He was a member of a few chorale companies, as well as a featured soloist, and performed the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Faure and many others.

He settled in New England after several moves in 1998 and broke his long hiatus from the theater, in 2003 as a Kit Kat Boy in Cabaret. This was followed by the Captain in Anything Goes, Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (twice), Jesus in Jesus Christ, Superstar, Captain Albert Lennox in The Secret Garden, Che in Evita, Mary Sunshine in Chicago (twice), Greg in A Chorus Line, Mr. McQueen Urinetown, Mr. Erlanson in A Little Night Music, El Gallo in The Fantasticks, Vernon Gersch in They’re Playing Our Song and Dan in Next To Normal and many more. He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the New Hampshire Theater Awards as Soapy Smith in The Gifts Of The Magi, has appeared in the film The Great Debaters plus lead roles in a few short films.